Ninja of the Kais
by DragonMasterFlex
Summary: After making the ultimate sacrifice to save the ninja world, Naruto is rescued from certain death by the Supreme Kai. Now the greatest ninja from the hidden leaf village has a new mission, protect the earth.
1. A Stroke of Luck

**Summary:** After making the ultimate sacrifice to save the ninja world, Naruto is rescued from certain death by the Supreme Kai. Now the greatest ninja from the hidden leaf village has a new mission, protect the earth.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything

* * *

**A Stroke of Luck  
**

The Supreme Kai and Kibito had traveled to edge of the realm of the Kai's in order to repair a breach in the dimensional barrier. After a thorough inspection of the tear the two began their work of closing the rift. Both were calmly floating in a meditative stance. The work was almost done until the Supreme Kai suddenly sensed something and his eyes widened.

"Kibito! Someone's in there! We must get them out!" exclaimed the Supreme Kai.

"Impossible! King Yemma's men investigated this, it wasn't a forced tear, just result of an old extinct galaxy collapsing!" responded Kibito.

"I just sensed them arriving now! A tear from an adjacent realm opened quickly and they were sucked into this one before the breach closed. Rescue them before I complete the repair." ordered the Supreme Kai.

"Right away sir!" replied Kibito as he vanished into the void. He appeared to find an unconscious blond haired teen floating through the rift between worlds. The boys black and orange clothes we're ragged and his body looked badly burned.

"You are very lucky that the Supreme Kai sensed you, you surely would have died if left here after the tear closed. " stated Kibito before hefting the young man over his shoulder an teleporting out of the rift.

"I've got him sir!" declared Kibito now outside the rift standing next to Supreme Kai.

"Very good Kibito, now let me finish this here." Supreme Kai sent out one last pulse of energy and the rift closed. He turned and looked at the boy Kibito held over his shoulder.

_'I sense a tremendous amount of latent energy in this boy, we must investigate this.' _thought the Supreme Kai._  
_

"Master, should I drop him off with one your subjects?" inquired Kibito.

"No Kibito we will take him with us, I must investigate this boy myself." replied the Supreme Kai.

"Sir, he is still mortal, we couldn't possibly bring him..." responded Kibito.

The Supreme Kai cut him off, "Kibito on my initial scan of this boy, I felt latent energy that rivaled the beast I sealed away several millenniums ago. Perhaps we have found a counter if the monster should ever be released again."

"Ye-Yes sir." stammered Kibito, his eyes widening to the size of dinner plates.

The two then fazed out of view and appeared back on the Supreme Kai's planet. Kibito laid the boy down on the ground before kneeling and beginning to heal his injuries.

"Sir, there are conflicting energies within his body. I will be unable to awaken him until they come into harmony." reported Kibito.

The Supreme nodded, "That is fine Kibito, we can scan his mind to find the source of the problem after his physical injuries are healed."

"Yes, sir." replied Kibito.

After a few minutes the healing was complete and Kibito then replaced the boy's tattered clothing with a dark blue version of one of their outfits.

"The first step is to scan his mind. Not only may we find to reason behind this state, we'll find about him as well." stated the Supreme Kai as both he and Kibito took a meditative stance. Soon the most recent memory of the young man flashed through their minds.

X-X-X-X-**Flash Back**-X-X-X-X-X

Within the vast expanse of the main Akatsuki hideout, the ground rumbled as the Gedo Mazo statue pulsed with power.

"You stubborn fool! What have you done!" exclaimed Madara.

"Invaded your base and sealed you inside to ensure your destruction." replied Naruto

"Naruto, I won't let you end my ambition! Konoha will be destroyed!" raged Sasuke.

"Forget about that you imbecile we must retreat!" yelled Madara as he initiated his mangekyou sharingan technique only to be stunned as it failed. "What is this! Why can't I open the time-space rift!"

"Say hello to the final gift of Itachi, the power to block your time/space ninjutsu! Since the founding of our village you have been meddling and destroying lives left and right! The Uchiha clan and its corruption ends here!** Demonic Sage Final Technique: Self-Destruction!**" declared Naruto standing proud with his fist clenched and a defiant look in his eye.

Madara, Sasuke and the rest of the Akatsuki could only look on in horror as Naruto's body glowed red before an explosive wave of red energy exploded from him overtaking the entire base and triggering an second explosion from the Gedo Mazo containing the other Bijuu._  
_

X-X-X-X-X-**Flash Back End**-X-X-X-X-X-X

From this memory the two went back through his entire life including memories that he couldn't access because he was too young like the sealing of the Kyuubi.

"This boy has one of the most noble souls I have ever met. To sacrifice oneself for an ungrateful world he is truly a hero of the highest caliber." stated the Supreme Kai.

"Bound together at birth with the fox. The willpower to withstand the temptations of its power is astounding, but his body was not meant to use demonic power." said Kibito.

"That may have been true before, but the boy's body over time began to adapt to the demonic energies. The beast seems have attempted to modify its vessel to either ensure its survival or simply take the body as its own at some point. It would have worked but the seal made the process occur too slowly." countered the Supreme Kai.

"I see. We can accelerate the process somewhat so that his body can handle the demonic energies." said Kibito.

"Yes. Also, we will remove the soul of the beast and cast it into Makai. Now let's get started." ordered the Supreme Kai.

The two stood a few feet away from the body before raising their arms outstretched. Soon Naruto's body levitated into mid air, a purple aura surrounding him. After a few minutes the whisker marks on his face sharpened a bit and the muscle mass increased all over his body.

"It seems the facial markings were not from being the vessel, they were his own to begin with." observed the Supreme Kai. "Now that we have modified the body, we must go inside to remove the soul of the beast and cast it into Makai."

The two vanished in a flash of light and reappeared inside the sewer like mind scape of the blond in front of the seal.

"For such a primitive people to create such a technique is impressive, despite how barbaric it is." commented the Kibito.

"The will power of this young man is what truly holds this beast back." replied the Supreme Kai.

**"Who dares enter my domain!"** snarled the Kyuubi as its eyes opened from behind the gate.

"Demon you're lucky your vessel was found by the Supreme Kai. You will now gain your freedom and the boy will be rid of you once and for all." retorted Kibito defiantly.

**"As soon as I am free from this cage I will devour everything in my path, starting with you!"** roared the Kyuubi.

"You will be doing no such thing, the boy's body has become accustomed to holding your power. Your power will remain here and you will be cast into the realm of Makai with nothing left but your tainted soul." proclaimed the Supreme Kai. He then raised his hand and hit the Kyuubi with a spell.

**"YOU CAN'T DO THIS TO ME! THIS IS MY POWER!"** roared the Kyuubi before suddenly its body bloated and it clamped its claws over its mouth. The Kyuubi's attempts to suppress its power back down within its core proved futile as a massive red orb forced it way up threw its throat and out of its mouth. After the process completed the Kyuubi's size reduced to that of a normal fox.

"NOOOOOOO!" screamed the fox as the Supreme Kai hit with another spell that banished it to the realm of Makai. With another pulse of his power, the seal and the sewer faded away to reveal a forest with a blue ball of energy illuminating the sky. The red orb in front of them then rose to join to the blue orb in the sky.

"Our work here is done. The rest will occur naturally over time." The two then vanished from the mind scape back to the real world.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

Shortly after reappearing in the real world Naruto finally began to awaken. The two simply observed him as he came too muttering random nonsense. When he looked up in true Naruto fashion he spoke the first thing that came to his mind.

"Is everyone in the afterlife that ugly?" followed by, "Hey a fish man!"

A tick mark appeared on Kibito's forehead as he promptly berated the blond for a lack of respect for the Supreme Kai as said Kai chuckled in amusement. The Supreme then proceeded to explain the situation to him, how he was rescued, and what they did to him. Naruto simply nodded sagely as if he understood everything that was going on. Then the Supreme Kai laid his cards on the table.

"I have a proposition for you. Long ago I sealed away a great evil inside a planet. If this being were ever to be released it could mean the end of all life as we know it. I believe you have the potential to defeat this being after some training and preparation I want to send you there. You can consider it a mission."

Naruto scratch his head, "So let me get this straight, I'm not dead, you pulled me out of a dimensional rift, removed the fox from my gut, left me a bunch of its power and all you want me to do is go guard some planet in return."

After receiving a nod from the Supreme Kai he continued, "If I find a good ramen stand there, I'll get people to start worshiping you."

At this they both face planted into the ground. "That's it? I figured you'd be more inclined to find away to return home." stated a surprised Supreme Kai.

NAruto shrugged, "I already made peace with my old life when I resigned myself to self destructing to stop those guys from taking over the world. Besides I could be an even bigger legend, Naruto Uzumaki Inter-Galactic Ninja!"

"But, you're part demon now. Surely that has to be startling?" questioned Kibito.

"Who cares?" Naruto shrugged before he rubbed his hands together with a maniacal grin on his face, "Now you said something about training!"

"Yes! Kibito take us too the Grand Kai of earth's sector." exclaimed Supreme Kai joyous that his plan was coming to fruition.

"Right away." Kibito placed a hand on the both of them and the trio vanished.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

Naruto stood there stunned for a moment after they appeared on the Grand Kai's planet before jumping up and down in excitement.

"You have to teach me how to do that!"

At this Kibito smirked, "Maybe later."

The trio stood outside of giant white palace when suddenly and old man wearing jeans and denim jacket walked out the front door. He danced around while listening to rock music on the boom box he held in his hand.

"Pretty fly for an old guy." blurted Naruto.

"Show some respect for the Grand Kai!" yelled Kibito.

"I take it as a compliment, that the young ones still think I'm the essence of cool. Supreme Kai what can I do you for?" said the Grand Kai.

The Supreme Kai proceeded to explain the entire situation to him. At this the Grand Kai gave Naruto a look over before speaking.

"I see. Yes a very rare find indeed. No problem I'll have North Kai whip him into shape."

"Kibito if you could go retrieve him for us. He'll know the most about the current situation on earth." stated the Supreme Kai.

"Right-away sir." replied Kibito before vanishing. Seconds later he re-appeared with King Kai.

"Supreme Kai, sir! I'm honored." exclaimed King Kai as he bowed.

"Please North Kai the honor is all mine since, I have come to ask you a favor. Kibito has debriefed you on to situation?"

"Yes he has..._'He must not know about Goku and the others. They could use extra help with those androids coming. Let's see if he can be of any help.'..._let's see Naruto? Let me get a good reading of you." King Kai turned to face the blond with his antennae perking blond stood there impatiently before King Kai spoke again.

"Yeah, I can whip him into shape. Get him ready to go in say two and a half years?" _'Just in time for those androids'_

"Excellent!" remarked the Supreme Kai.

"What how is that possible! He should require a much lengthier amount of training time." stated Kibito.

"We will have to modify it a bit but his trademark technique, the shadow clone, is the key. Everything the clone learns the user learns."

"I can do over a century worth of training in this amount of time." replied Naruto with a smirk.

"Don't get too cocky. I'm going to have to rebuild you from the basics. The earth will be a fine place for him reside. On of my pupils resides on that planet, he should be able to help him adapt. Now first things first." King Kai raised his hands in the air and suddenly four small rings of energy appeared around Naruto's wrists and ankles. The clamped down upon him before he plummeted to the ground.

"I want you to forget everything you ever learned about chakra. I'm going to teach you how to use your purely physical energy. First step figure out how to stand up."

"Why would I want to do that? Some on my most destructive techniques are from chakra." growled a struggling Naruto.

"Just think of it this way. Using chakra gave you more precision but less power, however if your enemy is strong enough precision won't matter you need to over power him. From you memories I deduced that the strongest opponent you fought could level an entire village?" at this Naruto nodded, "Well I'm going to make you strong enough to fight guys who can level an entire planet!"

At this statement Naruto gained a maniacal gleam in his eye before suddenly forcing himself to his knees.

_'Kids so easy to motivate these days.'_ thought King Kai while shaking his head.

"Well then good luck to you. We'll be back later to check up your progress." The supreme Kai waved before he and Kibito vanished from the area. The Grand Kai turned his boom box back on and danced his way back inside the mansion.

"Speaking of kids, I should tell Goku the good news." muttered King Kai. The other world overseer's antennae perked up as he made contact with his most powerful student back on Earth.

'Hey, Goku! I've got great news!' King Kai communicated telepathically.

'Hey, King Kai! Long time no see! Did you find someone to help us fight the androids?' responded Goku.

'No, I just saved a bunch of money on my car insurance by switching to GEICO! Bwahahaha!' joked King Kai.

Goku was completely lost, 'They have car insurance in other world? Who knew?'

King Kai shook his head, 'Tough crowd. Never mind that! I've got someone to help you fight the androids! The Supreme Kai wants relocate one his warriors to my sector, more specifically the earth.'

This caught the Saiyan's attention, 'Wow! I can't believe it! There's a Supreme Kai too?'

'There's a bunch more Kais, but that's not important.' replied King Kai. 'The Supreme Kai buried a great source of evil within the Earth long ago. He wants to send his man there to protect it from anyone who might come looking for it.'

'But, we already have plenty of people protecting the Earth.' reminded Goku.

'I already know that! However, the Supreme Kai has not checked on the planet in a while. If he knew about all you guys he might just keep him here and I figured you'd need all the help you can get with these Androids. Besides the Supreme picked this guy out personally, so he's got to have a ton of talent.'

Goku was sold, 'A warrior sent by the Supreme Kai must be incredibly strong! I can't wait to fight him!'

'You saiyans are always looking for the next challenge. You still have two and a half years before the androids arrive and he has to finish his training here under me. After i whip him into decent fighting shape, I'll have you and a few of the others come to meet him.'

'Sounds good to me!' replied an enthusiastic Goku.

"What did King Kai want?" asked Piccolo.

"Apparently, he found somebody to help us out with the Androids." informed Goku.

"Who could he find that would be strong enough to help?" asked Gohan.

"There's actually someone who is King Kai's boss, a Supreme Kai. The Supreme Kai discovered this mystery fighter and wants train him to defend against some great evil he sealed away." replied Goku.

That threw Piccolo for a loop, "You're telling me there's a Supreme Kai? And he found this guy? Are we reviving some dead warrior with the dragonballs or something?"

Goku shook his head, "Nope, I'm pretty sure he's alive. The Supreme thinks he's loaded with potential. I don't think you'd say that sort of thing about a dead guy. Looks like the future might be changing after all."


	2. New Comrades

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything, if I did the Naruto manga wouldn't suck right now.

**New Comrades**

"Hehehe...hahahha..Oh these are hilarious! I know one thing, Naruto you are by far my greatest student in the art of comedy!" King Kai couldn't contain himself as he looked over the pictures from the results of Naruto's latest strike in their prank war with West Kai. After the short Kai's refusal to teach him the Thunder Flash Attack Naruto declared war in attempt to make the Kai meet his demands. King Kai has been piling up the blackmail material ever since, the latest being the results of Naruto's Harem Jutsu. He found this material very useful in bribing South Kai to teach Naruto defensive techniques and getting him to use his ability to raise Naruto's training weights periodically. Naruto also somehow managed to acquire photos of East sans her wig and parlayed those into speed training. Of course neither West nor East Kai knew that Naruto's pranks were being funded by the Grand Kai who was excited to have someone liven up Other World after all these years.

The two years quickly passed since Naruto's arrival in Other World and the start of his training. He took to the training like a natural surpassing even King Kai's expectations in terms of power and skill. The boy seemed to create a new attack every few days, although eighty percent of them turned out to be useless or just a more powerful version of an old attack. He'd lost count after the teen's thirtieth version of the Rasengan. Currently one hundred Naruto clones worked on his latest super secret technique while the real Naruto went through his aptly dubbed "Green Beast Workout" consisting of several hundred punches and kicks with his newly upgraded weights from South Kai. He now wore a black fighting gi and orange toed black boots with an orange undershirt and belt. He also retired his forehead protector now sporting an regular orange headband in its place.

After finishing looking through the photos King Kai remembered that today was the day he was going to test Naruto and called for his test fighter,_ 'Goku! It's time!'_

_'Alright! We're on our way!' _telepathically replied Goku.

Suddenly Goku, Krillin, Piccolo and Gohan fazed into existence. As soon as the quartet arrived an explosion nearly knocked them all off their feet.

"Naruto! Move further out when training those unstable techniques!" yelled an irate King Kai.

"SORRY KING KAI!" yelled the group of Naruto's as they picked it up and moved further away.

"Jeez Kid these days, all about the fancy explosive techniques." grumbled King Kai.

"Boy that is some kind of technique! The things I could do with a hundred copies of myself." pondered Krillin.

"Yeah, get dumped by girls in the hundreds." remarked Goku causing King Kai, Piccolo, and Gohan to snicker.

"At least I wouldn't consume the entire world's food supply." retorted Krillin.

"Eh, one hundred clones is nothing. When I really cut loose I can make over two thousand." replied the real Naruto for a moment as he paused in his workout before continuing.

Krillin's jaw dropped, "T-T-TWO THOUSAND!"

"Talk about your one man army." muttered Piccolo.

"So how strong is he King Kai, I can't really sense his power." inquired Goku.

"Oh that's right he's using those energy cuffs. Naruto you can release them!" ordered King Kai.

"Well let me slip out of these weights too then." says Naruto as he discarded the weights leaving a crater in the ground.

"Geez how much weight was he using?" asked Krillin.

"He usually warms up at about four tons per limb." replied King Kai.

"That is a pretty good warm up." stated Piccolo as Goku nodded in agreement. Gohan and Krillin just stared at them like as if the were insane.

Naruto gathered himself in midair before stretching his arms out to the side. Four golden rings appeared and each arm and leg.

"Release!" he shouted as the four rings shattered and his true power level hit their sense.

"Impressive, he's about as strong as Vegeta." commented Piccolo.

Goku smirked and started doing some stretches, "Can't you sense it Piccolo, he's holding back. He would have whipped Frieza no problem."

Piccolo wasn't buying it, "He couldn't be that strong. That would mean he's a strong as a Super Saiyan."

"Well, he's definitely not normal." quipped Krillin.

"He's nothing close to normal." muttered King Kai as he let out a snort of amusement. _'If he can hold his own against a Super Saiyan, then they should stand an excellent chance against these androids.'_

Goku rose into the air and stood across from Naruto who had released his clones, each fighter sizing up the other.

"The strongest warrior on earth, let's see what you've got." stated Naruto with a eager grin as he moved shifted his preferred stance, developed from the frog katas he learned wen becoming a Sage.

Goku responded with a grin of his own before he launched himself towards Naruto. He struck with two punches only to be met with the blocking forearms of Naruto. Naruto followed with a roundhouse kick that is blocked easily by Goku in return. Goku punched again only to have his fist pass through an after image. Naruto attempts a vertical kick from Goku's blind spot only to pass through an after image as well. The two disappeared and the reappeared around the area in a dance of punches and kicks with each attack blocked or dodged by the other. Suddenly, they reappeared on the ground with both hands interlocked trying to overwhelm the other with brute strength. Goku was starting to overwhelm Naruto and began pushing him back before he suddenly bent backwards at a nearly impossible angle to dodge a spinning kick from a second Naruto that attacked him from behind. The two Naruto's began to attack in tandem forcing Goku on the defensive. However, the Saiyan soon exploited an opening and landed a hard punch on each Naruto. He was surprised when both blonds went up in a puff of smoke. Goku sharpened his senses looking for Naruto only to be stunned at the last second as a fist rose from the ground knocked him into the air. Suddenly four Naruto's appeared above him each grabbing a limb and pinning him to the ground.

He looked up to see the real Naruto launching a large spiraling ball of energy at him,** "Odama Rasengan!"**

Goku flared his energy to break free from the clones and launched a blast of energy that detonated Naruto's attack in midair triggering a huge explosion. After the dust cleared from the blast, the two fighters gave each other an appraising stare.

"Good enough warm-up?" asked Goku, an amused look on his face.

"Yeah let's turn it up!" replied Naruto with enthusiastic fist pump. Goku channeled his power and let out a roar as his muscle mass expanded all over his body with his hair turning golden to accompany the aura that came with the Super Saiyan transformation.

"That's pretty impressive. Now watch this!" Naruto suddenly he struck a ridiculous pose that would have made Jiraiya proud, "Now you will see what makes all men tremble in fear, and all the ladies want to be near. It is renowned from the east to the west as simply being the very best! Be-hold, the legendary power of Naruto Uzumaki! TADAAA!"

"STOP GOOFING AROUND!" yelled King Kai.

"Fine, fine." grumbled Naruto. He settled into a normal stance and channeled his power causing his aura and eyes to shift from blue to red. His gained slit pupils and his nails became claw-like while his teeth grew into fangs. His blonde hair will grew a little longer, became even spikier, and point upwards while his whisker marks thickened and widened. They all sensed that his energy had a bit of a malicious feel to it.

As he spoke, his voice gained a much deeper pitch and raspier edge to it,** "Feels good to cut loose. Haven't had too many chances to go full power since I've been here. Don't exactly have a cool name for this like you, I just call it my demon form."**

"You know, after dealing with Piccolo all these years meeting a real demon isn't that scary." stammered a slightly spooked Krillin.

Piccolo ignored him, quirking an eyebrow at King Kai, "So that's what you meant by nothing close to normal. He's from the Makai realm."

"He's not from there, but you could say that is where he inherited his power from. And what a truly meant was the fact that at this stage he's only tapping into a fraction of his true potential." replied King Kai.

Their conversation was interrupted by the massive power output now being generated by the two warriors as they resumed their clash. The pair stood apart from each other powering up massive energy attacks.

Goku elected to go with the Super Kamehameha, " "Kame...hame...HAAA!"

Naruto pulled out one of his new attacks as he stuck his right arm straight out with flat palm facing out and his left hand around the right wrist. A large red ball of energy formed in front of his hand crackling with black electricity,** "THUNDER DRAGON WAVE!"**

As he unleashed the blast, the head of dragon formed at the head of the wave while it streaked through air at met Goku's attack head on. The two blasts struggled for dominance as both fighters poured in their energy when suddenly the beams exploded. After the dust cleared the two fighters reappeared in the middle of the smoke engaged in a furious exchange of punches and kicks.

"He's really keeping up with dad as a Super Saiyan! This is amazing." uttered Gohan in awe.

"Yeah, look at them go!" cheered Krillin.

The two warriors were now trading thunderous blows at high speed with the shock waves shaking the area. They began to power up large energy attacks again when they were stopped by the shouts of King Kai.

"Stop! That's enough for know. Don't want you two to destroy the Grand Kai's planet." he ordered. Sighing at having their fight stopped the two warriors powered down.

"That was incredible! You guys were dead even!" yelled Krillin as the two fighters approached. "I'd never thought it was even possible for anyone to match a Super Saiyan besides another Super Saiyan."

Naruto shrugged, "Not exactly even, he was holding back a little more power."

"Yeah, but your stamina is impressive. You poured a ton of power into that energy blast and it didn't effect you at all." asserted Goku.

"So how strong are these androids?" asked Naruto.

"We don't know exactly but they supposedly stronger than a Super Saiyan and have infinite energy." answered Piccolo.

"In a straight up fight the odds are still in their favor." added King Kai.

"True, but if push comes to shove who says we need to fight fair?" replied a smirking Naruto.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

King Kai had decided Naruto needed to get familiar with the earth, so he sent him back with Goku and the gang to stay for about a week before returning to cap off his training. They decided to gather everyone at capsule corp to introduce them to their new comrade. They first stopped at Goku's house to pickup ChiChi. They weren't even able to get to the door before she stormed out frying pan in hand.

"WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN MISTER! GOHAN WAS SUPPOSED TO BE HOME FOUR HOURS AGO TO STUDY! I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU'RE SO IRRESPONSIBLE! WE HAD AN AGREEMENT! DON'T YOU CARE ABOUT OUR SONS EDUCATION..." ranted ChiChi and she was just picking up steam as she marched toward the quickly panicking Goku.

_'She's even scarier than the old hag when she was pissed off!'_ thought a cringing Naruto.

ChiChi brought frying up to punish her husband and the others could only look on in horror before Naruto decided to save his new friend from his irate wife.

"Well you see the reason they were gone so long, was that they came to visit me to help Gohan learn a very important technique to help with his studying!" informed Naruto.

"We did?" blurted a stunned Gohan, Goku, Krillin and Piccolo.

"Yeah, you know the shadow clone technique. You see Goku was feeling bad that he had to pull Gohan away from his studies so much so he brought him to see me! With this technique you can create multiple copies of yourself and everything the copy learns is passed back to the user. So Gohan can study triple the amount at one time to make up for the time he spends training!" stated Naruto excitedly.

They couldn't believe Naruto pulled that one out of his ass.

"Oh, Goku you do care about Gohan's education!" she shrieked while now bear hugging her husband. This didn't last long as she now went on a new rant at the possibilities of what she could get do with Gohan's studies. "This is great I can revamp the entire curriculum schedule! He doesn't have focus on a single track, I can steer him towards multiple degrees..."

_'Now that is what I call genius under pressure.' _thought Krillin_._

_'Phew, Nice save Naruto. I'm glad King Kai sent you back with us!' _thought Goku._  
_

_'This is great I can now study without actually having to study!'_ happily thought Gohan at being free from studying all the time.

"Nice save Naruto I owe you one!" said Goku after ChiChi went back inside.

"Guys, do you realize what just happened, he stopped the frying pan of doom!" blurted Krillin causing Goku to clamp his hands over his mouth.

"Quiet! If she catches on we may never be able to pull this off again. There are tons of techniques you can just pass on as helping Gohan study. I can't believe we didn't think of it before." said Piccolo.

"When she's coming right after you with that female aura doom, you tend forget everything except bracing yourself for the pain." spoke Naruto with a shudder. "At least she doesn't have monstrous super strength. Nor an apprentice to pass it off to either."

"The pan makes up for it. Still haven't figured out what that thing is made of." muttered Goku while scratching the back of his head.

"Maybe it could be the key to defeating the androids!" joked Gohan causing them to all doubled over in laughter.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

The entire collection of the Earth's Special Forces except Vegeta had gathered at capsule corp. They were all chowing down on food having a good time. It was a good release for them all as they took a break from their strenuous training and the stress over the upcoming threat to the planet. The women had been caught up in baby-talk in Trunks nursery room so the inmates were running the asylum.

Naruto had fit in seamlessly with the group telling tales of his adventures as a Ninja and his time the past couple years in the Other World, "...So right as I show he just looked at me in horror before shrieking and hiding behind his father yelling, 'Save me, father! It's the golden monkey!' So I decide to transform into a Giant golden monkey just like King Kai said and Freiza just faints on the spot. Even his dad laughed at him!"

This the room erupts with laughter before Goku chimes in, "Oh man that is too much. That reminds of on Namek, I'm staring down Frieza about to begin the fight of my life, and in the background I hear Krillin say, 'Even with the new transformation I still can't tell, is Frieza a guy or a girl?' and then Gohan replies, 'I don't know his voice got even more girlish than before! Maybe he's both?' I almost started laughing so hard I lost the fight right there!"

The roar of laughter once again filled the room again.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

The next few months passed quickly and the day of the androids arrival finally arrived. King Kai wished his new pupil luck before Naruto teleported back to Earth outside of Goku's house. Soon the Father-son duo walked outside to meet Naruto and Piccolo with ChiChi trailing behind.

"Can't you guys stay a bit longer for lunch?" pleaded Chichi.

"Sorry, mom but we have to go." replied Gohan.

"Bye, ChiChi!" said Goku.

Naruto noticed the worried look in eye before giving her some comforting words, "Don't worry Miss ChiChi, me and the green man will make sure they get home safe and sound."

"Let's do this!" stated a confident Goku as the quartet took to the sky.

"Those Androids won't know what hit 'em!" yelled Naruto as they took off at top speeds towards South City.

* * *

**(Queue DBZ Episode Ending Sequence)**

_**After years of preparation the day foretold by Trunks has arrived. Will a healthy Goku and the addition of Naruto be enough to foil the machines of Dr. Gero or will the deadly synthetic warriors prove too much for earth's special forces to handle. The battle for the future begins next time on Ninja of the Kais!**_


	3. Android Day

**Disclaimer:** I don't on anything otherwise the Great Saiyaman would never have existed.

* * *

**Android Day**

The quartet of Gohan, Goku, Naruto, and Piccolo met up with Krillin along the way to the Island. As they arrived at the island, they found Yamcha, Tien, and Bulma with baby Trunks waiting for them atop the mountain top over looking the whole island.

"Hey, guys over here!" shouted Yamcha with a wave as they came into land. "I told you it was them, Tien!"

"I can't believe it. The day of judgement has finally arrived." muttered a nervous Krillin as he touched down.

"All our training for this moment, the only question is was it enough." replied Tien.

"Well, remember that I was dead already in the other timeline. Plus, Naruto never appeared in that other time line to help out either. I believe we will win." stated Goku giving confidence to the worried fighters.

Naruto noticed Piccolo frowning at Goku's statement, "What's bugging you?"

"The time line has been polluted, so things may have changed. I think it's safe to say that the attack will happen today, but with Goku being dead before the Androids might have changed. There could be more or they could be even stronger." reasoned Piccolo.

"Doesn't really matter. I won't stop until they're nothing but scrapheap in a junkyard." replied Naruto pounding his fist into his palm.

"Now you sound like Vegeta," replied a smirking Goku. "Speaking of Vegeta, Bulma, he still isn't back yet?"

"Yeah, with the baby I lost track of him and now I'm actually worried that he hasn't turned up in so long." she replied with a frown.

"He'll be here. A guy like that wouldn't miss out on a fight like this." stated Piccolo.

Their thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of Yajirobi in his hover car.

"Delivery from Korin, he thought you might need them." stated Yajirobi as he tossed Goku a bag of sensu beans.

"Thanks, Yajirobi! Hey, are you going to stay and help us fight the Androids?" asked Goku giving the beans to Bulma for safe keeping .

"No way, I'll leave the hero stuff to the crazy people like you!" yelled the chubby man as he took off again in his hover car.

"They should have been here already, it's already 10:20." commented Bulma.

"Maybe that kid was full of hot air and they wont show?" suggested Yamcha with a hopeful tone.

Piccolo shook his head, "They'll show, something had to be significant about this day for them to attack before."

Suddenly Yajirobi's plane exploded and several explosions went off on the Island.

"THEY'RE ALREADY HERE!" bellowed the Namek.

"They're attacking innocent people! We need to help them!" exclaimed Goku.

"I'm on it! **Tajū Kage Bunshin no Jutsu! (Mass Shadow Clone Technique)**" yelled Naruto creating a massive swarm of clones. He sent one off to rescue Yajirobi before giving the rest other orders.

"Go help the injured and evacuate the city!" he ordered as the clones took off into the city.

"Why can't we sense these things!" yelled a frustrated Tien.

"They're androids, they don't have any life energy to sense!" exclaimed Gohan.

"We'll have to do this the old fashioned way! Spread out around the city!" ordered Piccolo

The group of warriors separated and flew off to different locations. Goku landed on top of building and scanned around not finding anything. Krillin landed on the street and walked pass a group of Naruto clones pulling people out of a collapsing building as he searched. Naruto crouched down on the top of a store, scanning the area and finding nothing. Yamcha ran past a group of clones carrying people out of harms way from a smoking building. One last clone came through the cloud of smoke carrying a woman and her child when it suddenly jumped up to dodge the punch coming from a short fat man.

"Hey! What's the big idea!" shouted Yamcha at the guy hindering the rescue effort. The man turned around and he then recognized the Red-Ribbon army emblem on his shirt.

"GUYS I FOUND THEM!" yelled Yamcha as a nearby clone dispersed to relay the information. Before Yamcha could flare his power level even more men suddenly appeared in front of him also sporting the Red Ribbon logo. One was an old man with a long white beard and mustache while the other was a bulky muscled man wearing a red ribbon army baseball cap. The old man grabbed Yamcha by the face with his hand over his mouth. Yamcha struggled to free himself from the mans grip, but quickly found himself losing power. As he lapsed into unconsciousness the man brought his arm back to kill Yamcha, only to be forced to drop the dark haired fighter as he received a kick to the side of the head from Naruto knocking his hat off. The rest of the fighters descended on the area taking up battle stances in front of the three androids with Krillin moving over to pick up Yamcha. The old man moved over to pick up his hat.

"Guys, his power level is fading fast!" exclaimed Krillin.

"Go take him to Bulma and get him a sensu bean. After he's patched up, you can catch up with us." ordered Goku.

"Right." responded Krillin with a nod as he flew off towards Bulma with Yamcha hefted over his shoulder.

"So these are the tin cans of doom. The certainly don't look like much." taunted Naruto.

"Yeah, I didn't know the circus was in town." added Tien.

"Those outfits are just ridiculous,"began Naruto before pausing as he received a rush of information. "My clones aren't done getting people out of harms way. We need to take this somewhere else."

"Yes, there are many people who will get in our way. Thirteen will see to it that they don't." stated the old man. The Android with the baseball caps eyes glowed red and shot laser beams all over the city causing mass destruction.

"YOU FOOL! LEAVE THESE PEOPLE OUT OF THIS!" declared Goku punching the Android in the face to halt the assault.

"There are no more people left to leave out." replied the fat Android.

"Don't worry my clones took all the damage. No one was injured." informed Naruto.

"I see you don't agree with my methods. Very well, we will move out to a better location to fight, Goku." stated the old man.

"How do you know his name?" questioned Gohan.

"We know almost all of you: the Namekian Piccolo, the humans Tien, Krillin, and Yamcha, the son of Goku, Gohan all except the blond one." said the old man.

"There is no information on him in our database." stated the fat android.

"No matter, he will fall just like the rest. They are no match for us. However, I am curious how did you know to expect our arrival today?" inquired the old man.

"Enough small talk. This is crappy place to fight let's take this somewhere else." declared Naruto getting the conversation back on track.

"Very well, we will follow you." replied the old man.

The Z fighters and the three Androids took off into the sky in search of a proper battle field.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

As Krillin approached Bulma she could only look upon the prone form of Yamcha in concern. After the Naruto clone had returned with Yajirobi she gave him a spare capsule she had to return to Korin's tower.

"What happened to him?" she asked as Krillin laid Yamcha on the ground.

"The Androids did something to him, I need the sensu beans." said Krillin grabbing the bag from Bulma. He fed the bean to Yamcha who quickly returned to consciousness.

"Oh man, that was close. That Android when he grabbed me it felt like he was sucking out my energy." muttered Yamcha.

"Then we need to warn the others. I'll hold on to these sensu beans, Bulma. Let's go!" stated Krillin as the two warriors took off.

"Darn, I didn't get to ask about what they looked like. We'll wait a little bit until the fighting's over before catching up. I want to get a look at those androids." said Bulma aloud. Baby Trunks gurgled in response.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

As the warriors flew off towards their destination Piccolo, Gohan, and Naruto took notice of Goku who seemed to be in some sort of discomfort. Soon Krillin and Yamcha caught up to the group.

"This is far enough, we will fight here." declared the old man.

"What's up with Goku?" Naruto whispered to Piccolo and Gohan as they landed.

"Yeah, he shouldn't be that taxed from flying here." added Gohan.

"It may just be anxiousness to get this started. He can handle himself, but keep an eye on him." responded Piccolo.

Naruto wasn't sold , _'There is something wrong with you, but what? Perhaps its best if you don't fight that much today...'_

Naruto's thoughts were interrupted by Goku.

"I'm ready whenever you are." he declared to the Androids.

"Ever the noble warrior, but today you will meet your end. Our creator has studied you very thoroughly ever since your defeat of the Red Ribbon army all the way until your battle with the Saiyans. Every technique, every battle dissected until he could create us, Androids 13, 19, and 20 , the perfect fighting machines capable of destroying you." declared the now named Android Twenty.

"So, that's it? One big revenge kick? Such a shame, but tell me did you cover our battles in space?" asked Goku.

"No, by then Dr. Gero had gathered enough information to predict and account for increases in your strength." replied Twenty.

"So you not only know nothing about Naruto, but you don't know a thing about me either." retorted Goku with a smirk.

"Did his calculations predict that Goku would become a Super Saiyan?" questioned a smirking Piccolo.

Twenty was puzzled, "Super Saiyan?"

Goku braced himself before powering up with a yell and transforming into a Super Saiyan.

"This is my fight, they want me they got me." ordered Goku.

"We have no data on this technique twenty." responded Thirteen.

"Yes an unexpected development, but nothing we cannot handle. Nineteen you can go first. Thirteen you can have the next one." said Twenty.

The chubby Android stepped forward moving into a fighting stance. Goku launched himself towards the Android, as the mechanical warrior braced itself for a blow Goku vanished before reappearing above him. The android launched a punch only for Goku to vanish and reappear behind him. Nineteen proceeded to launch a combination of punches and kicks only for Goku to block every single one easily. Goku then launched a punch that connected with the Androids chest knocking it backward into a cliff face. Twenty clenched his fist in anger at sight of Goku's new abilities.

_'His new powers are beyond anything I could have anticipated, without an opportunity to steal some energy Nineteen will not hold up.'_ thought Twenty.

"Wow! Look at Goku he's unstoppable!" exclaimed Krillin.

"That android couldn't even touch him." added Tien.

"Calm down, that blow did no damage. He's getting up like nothing happened." responded Piccolo.

The Android proved him right as it jumped up and made a dash toward Goku launching a furious assault of energy blasts at the golden warrior kicking up a cloud of debris and smoke. The Android used the cover to charge forward with a ball of energy in its hand. Goku dodged the android before swiftly jamming an elbow into his gut sending him into the ground creating a crater.

"This is amazing! Take it to him Goku!" cheered Krillin.

"No, there's something wrong with my dad he's struggling to maintain his power." stated Gohan.

"That and his attacks aren't doing any damage." added Naruto.

The android once again popped up with a few scratches, but no real damage. He charged toward Goku leading with the crown of his head until Goku stopped him with an outstretched arm before kicking him straight up into the air. Goku super sped above the machine warrior clasping his hands together above his head and slamming him towards the ground with a double axe handle. He then reappeared at ground level and punched Nineteen in the face, sending the chubby robot tumbling head over heels along the ground. Goku rose high in the air above the android breathing heavily. Once again the Android rose from the ground with nothing but scratches staring at Goku observantly.

"You were right, his attacks don't even seem to be phasing him." said Piccolo.

"What the hell is that guy made of? Those punches would have even put Freiza out of commission!" added Krillin.

"Either there's something seriously wrong with Goku, or that plump body is designed for him to take a ton of punishment. It doesn't help that Goku looks exhausted already." replied Naruto.

"KA...ME..." Goku began powering up his attack through his labored breathing, "HA..ME..HAAAAA!"

The giant energy wave rushed towards the android who suddenly cackled with glee before raising his palm into the air. As soon as the beam hit his hand he sucked all the energy in through the red device in the middle of his palm.

"Oh, come on! That did nothing?" exclaimed a panting Goku.

"Goku! Don't use any of your energy waves! They'll absorb the energy through their hands!" yelled Piccolo.

"I think he may have figured that out already." deadpanned Naruto. _'Now let's see what he does with all that energy...'_

"You're kidding? This is just not my day." mumbled Goku.

_'Excellent! Nineteen is now at full power and Goku is wearing down!'_ thought Twenty.

The plump mechanical fighter charged up at Goku nailing him with an uppercut before following with a knee to the gut causing the Super Saiyan to double over in pain. Goku countered with an elbow to the face that the android dodged before slamming him into the ground. Goku rose up slowly with his hand over his chest.

"OH NO! IT'S THAT HEART VIRUS! IT'S ATTACK HIM RIGHT NOW!" screamed Gohan.

"Goku thought the boy made a mistake, since he didn't get it when he said he would!" yelled Piccolo.

"Of course he wouldn't! He changed the time line! When my dad didn't fight frieza back here on Earth it must have delayed the virus!" proclaimed Gohan.

_'Looks like its about time for my debut...'_ thought Naruto as he began to elevate his power level.

Goku suddenly dropped his Super Saiyan transformation before collapsing to the ground. The Android hovered above him preparing to suck out his energy.

"Guys get ready, when I get Goku you'll need to get him care." stated Naruto.

"Yamcha you carry Goku back to his house, Krillin you rush there to get the medicine and bring it back to Yamcha so he can get treatment as fast as possible." ordered Piccolo.

"Alright, then Tien you hold on to these." said Krillin tossing him the sensu beans.

"Now I will take all of your energy." stated Nineteen with an evil smirk as it reached down for Goku's throat when suddenly a puff of smoke clouded his vision. After the smoke cleared the body of Goku had been replaced by a smirking Naruto.

He only said one thing, **"BOOM!"**

The clone of the blond exploded and sent the android flying into a cliff face.

"What the hell was that!" exclaimed Krillin as he shielded his eyes from the explosion.

"One second Goku was there and the next he exploded!" exclaimed Tien.

"I've got him!" yelled Naruto as everyone looked to see him holding up Goku over his shoulder. Yamcha rushed over an picked up the barely conscious Saiyan.

"How did he do that? I never picked up his movement on my scanners..." muttered Twenty.

"Don't worry buddy we'll get you fixed up in no time." said Yamcha, "Krillin let's go!"

The two fighters took off, with Thirteen moving to follow them only to be stopped by Twenty.

"Goku is of no concern. After we finish here we can dispose of those three at our leisure." stated Twenty.

Naruto flew over and stood across from the now recovered Android Nineteen.

"There's only one problem with that plan, now that I've seen you fight I know everything about you. Yet, you still no nothing about me. I'm going to rip you apart." declared Naruto.

"My scanners indicate that you are no threat. Dispose of him Nineteen." casually replied Twenty.

Naruto looked down with his hair shadowing his eyes. "You should learn...not to underestimate me!" he screamed exploding with power.

* * *

**Does the former ninja of the hidden leaf village have what it takes to take down these mechanical assassins? Or with Goku and his Super Saiyan power out of the picture are the Z fighters down for the count? The Battle for the future continues next time on Ninja of Kais!**


	4. Counter Strike

_Note: Yes this is a 18/Naruto pairing and no Naruto will not be becoming a saiyan. I have other plans for his increases in strength._

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto or DBZ, if I did Naruto would do the fusion dance with the Kyuubi.

* * *

**Counter Strike**

Naruto continued to yell as he powered up transforming into his demon form. His power level gained the undivided attention of everyone on the battlefield as it the ground quaked under the force of his energy.

"How is this possible!" yelled Twenty.

"It's unreal!" declared Gohan.

"Incredible, he's putting out as much power as Goku!" exclaimed Tien.

"No even more!" responded Piccolo.

As the ground settled as Naruto completed his power up and Twenty was momentarily shocked_, 'How can this be! My scanners read this boy as an ordinary human! How can he possibly possess as much power as a Saiyan?_ _No matter Nineteen made quick work of Goku. This one should be just as easy._'

"Nineteen destroy him!" he ordered as his fellow android giggled with glee in response.

"You may have denied me the energy of Goku, but yours will suffice as a replacement." declared the chubby Android.

Naruto leveled a stare at the Android with his intimidating feral features in response. They entered a brief stare down before Nineteen charged after Naruto firing laser beams from his eyes triggering several explosions. Nineteen charged through the smoke locking onto and Naruto delivering a right-handed power punch that Naruto deftly dodged by leaning to the left. The chubby android followed with a left-handed uppercut which Naruto leaned back to avoid. The mechanical warrior the proceeded launch a volley of high speed kicks and punches with Naruto dodging each attack as the Android slowly backed him towards a cliff face. As soon as Naruto's back was against the rocks the android struck with a left handed hay-maker only for his fist to pass right through an after image into the rocks of the cliff face. The android grunted in anger as he stared up to see Naruto floating above him with the same stare on his face.

"That Android hasn't managed to land a punch, but Naruto hasn't even thrown one." commented Tien.

"Yeah, I don't get it why isn't he attacking?" replied Gohan.

"After watching Goku attack head on, he must be trying to drag the fight out." responded Piccolo.

_'Your waiting for something, but what is it? Did you really find a weakness in the Androids to exploit?'_ thought Piccolo.

_'You boy are the anomaly I could not account for. What are you up to?'_ thought Twenty.

Nineteen removed his fist from the cliff face only to be blindsided by a kick from a Naruto clone. He flew through the air to another Naruto who kicked him straight up in the air. The android stopped himself in mid flight only to be grabbed from front and back by a pair of Naruto clones who began to spin rapidly while driving Nineteen straight toward the ground.

**"Double Clone Lotus!"** shouted the clones as they made impact with the ground and dispersed creating a giant crater. As the smoke clears the android emerges from the crater with his hat gone, face scratched up and leaking a red substance from the corner of his mouth. Naruto stood at the edge of the crater now smirking.

"Whats the problem, need an oil change?" taunted Naruto.

The infuriated android charged toward Naruto leading with a right handed punch only for Naruto to clasp his hand. The android brought around his other hand for a chop only for Naruto to clasp that hand as well. The two entered a strength battle trying to push each other back and forth. After struggling and find himself unable to get Naruto to budge Nineteen looked up with a smirk.

"I have you now! Soon your incredible strength will be all mine after I take all your energy!" declared the Android.

"Really now?" replied Naruto with a smirk of his own.

He quickly released the androids hands and before his opponent could react, grabbed the android by the shoulders and delivered a massive headbutt that cracked the protective covering on the androids head. Nineteen staggered back clutching its head dazed before stumbling over himself and falling down.

"Now that's what I call using your head!" cheered Gohan.

"What's the problem? Out of order? Perhaps I should call a repair man for you?" gloated Naruto.

The Android stumbled to his feet and caught his balance before charging towards the demonic warrior. Nineteen landed a punch that sent Naruto skidding a long the ground. The android giggled with glee until Naruto disappeared in puff smoke. Suddenly the ground rumbled before a hand holding a basketball sized spiraling ball of energy erupted from underground hitting the android in the stomach.

"What a move!" yelled Tien.

"Incredible, he knew the androids could absorb energy if he blasted it from far away so he used the diversion to get inside his guard for a close range attack." said Piccolo.

**"Rasengan!"** yelled the emerging Naruto. The Rasengan drilled into the androids gut kicking out metallic parts until it bore a hole right into the androids interior before exploding in a blast right out the androids back. Naruto with drew his arm from the android interior allowing the now destroyed warrior to fall to the ground out of commission for good.

"What have you done!" roared Twenty.

"You machines are all outdated, I'm sending you all to the scrapheap where you belong." retorted Naruto.

Suddenly clapping was heard from up above, "I must say that was quite an impressive performance. Looks like Kakarot finally found a worthwhile warrior to join his little group."

"Vegeta! You arrogant fool, you've been watching the whole time!" yelled Tien.

"So you're guy who was about to jump in before I saved him." stated Naruto, _'This guy has the stench of an arrogant teme. Should be fun to work with!'_

"I should thank you, the right to defeat Kakarot is reserved for me alone not some pathetic machines." stated Vegeta as he landed on the ground.

"Like you could ever stand against a Super Saiyan." retorted Piccolo.

"You act like Kakarot is the only one." remarked Vegeta.

_'He couldn't have could he?'_ thought Gohan.

"We don't have time to deal with you. Naruto take out the next android!" ordered Piccolo.

"No, wait. This man claims to be a Super Saiyan, I want to see it. Goku was too injured to fight at full power. Let him have his shot. If he's a strong as he's claims, then he's earned it." proposed Naruto.

_'Taking down Goku must have taken a more of a toll on Nineteen that I thought. We can still win, it's obvious that Vegeta and this Naruto are the only threats. We each should be able to manage defeating one and after absorbing their energy the rest will fall easily. I'll have Thirteen handle Vegeta and I'll take care of the unknown. I'm glad I had the foresight to remodel Thirteen with the energy absorbing technology instead of scrapping him completely. Nineteen may be able to take more punishment but thirteen is a superior fighter.' _plotted Twenty.

"Sending out nineteen after such an intense battle with Goku was a miscalculation on my part. Thirteen should be able to handle a threat like Vegeta with no problem." stated Twenty as Thirteen stepped forward.

"This one is mine, stand aside." barked Vegeta as Naruto moving back towards the others to observe.

"You sure this is a good idea?" questioned Tien.

"I don't want to reveal too much of my fighting style to them. The last one might find something that he can use against me. If Vegeta is a Super Saiyan, he will already have the edge based on them underestimating the transformation from Goku's performance." replied Naruto.

"I've seen it already! The fear in your eyes when he disposed of that tub of lard like he was nothing. So prepare yourself Android! Quake with fear!" roared Vegeta as he powered up.

"Not him too!" yelled Twenty.

"I don't believe it!" yelled Tien.

"He actually managed to become a Super Saiyan?" stated a puzzled Piccolo.

"I thought you had to be like my dad to do it." said Gohan.

"Apparently not." stated Naruto, _'Since Goku was sick it's up to you to show me what a Super Saiyan can really do.'_

"Yes, there's more than one way to reach the goal." declared a smirking Vegeta, basking in the glow of his new form._  
_

Vegeta stood there with a smirk on his face staring down Thirteen. The android suddenly vanished and reappeared in front of Vegeta and landed a fierce kick to the Super Saiyan's head turning it to the side.

"This one is a much better fighter." commented Piccolo.

"Yeah, his moves are just as fluid as ours." added Naruto.

Vegeta merely turned his head forward with the smirk still on his face.

"Just as I thought," he said while wiping a trickle of blood off his chin. "You're nothing! This won't even be a challenge!"

The Super Saiyan rushed forward to pummel the Android into oblivion. Vegeta landed several kicks and punches that broke through Thirteens defenses rendering the Android unable to counter attack. Thirteen attempted to switch to different tactics by trying evasive maneuvers to bait the Super Saiyan into coughing up some energy, but Vegeta didn't bite, continuing his merciless assault on the mechanical warrior in hand to hand combat. It soon became evident who the victor in this fight would be.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

Bulma sped along in her jet car trying the reach the battlefield before the androids were all gone.

"I've got to see these androids! A break through in science like this must be witnessed!" she stated aloud.

"Gah gah bluh!" responded Baby trunks from beside her.

"That's right!" she responded when suddenly a purple haired teen shot right past her at high speed.

"It's that boy from the future! He must be here to see if they won! We better hurry!" exclaimed Bulma as she floored it.

"Gwaaaaaaaah!" cheered baby Trunks as the jet car picked up speed.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

Android Twenty stood there trembling in anger at Thirteen's defeat.

_'How can this be! All of their powers are far greater than they should have been and they managed to recruit another powerful warrior to their side!' _thought Twenty._  
_

"Well what's it going to be Android?" declared Vegeta as he turned to face Twenty.

"There's no way an old fart like you can possibly win!" gloated Naruto.

_'My calculations never anticipated anything like this. I should have released Android 17 and 18 like I first planned!' _thought Twenty._  
_

"I'm far superior to both those models. Besides you wouldn't be so smug if I unleashed Androids 17 and 18. You wouldn't stand a chance against the superior models." declared Twenty.

"You're an idiot why wouldn't you come with your best fighters in the first place!" mocked Vegeta.

"Unless he can't control someone whose stronger than him." added Naruto.

"Can't control? I created them, they will do as I say!" roared Twenty.

"I thought you looked familiar, you're the real Dr. Gero! I've seen you in my science books! You must have turned yourself into and Android in order to control the others but it still failed!" proclaimed Gohan.

"I've had enough of this! Soon you will all pay for this humiliation!" declared Gero as he turned away from the warriors to flee only to find himself facing Naruto.

"Where do you think your going? Oh you must be looking for an ass-kicking, no problem I'll do it for free!" mocked Naruto. Gero then turned away from him in another direction only to be cut off by Vegeta.

"The woman's been nagging me about recycling parts for the GR, a piece of junk like you should do just fine." said Vegeta before backhanding the Android sending him skidding along the ground. Suddenly Trunks arrived on the scene scanning the battlefield.

_'I'm not too late! They're still here!'_ he thought before getting a look around and seeing the remains of Androids 13 and 19. _'What's going on here who are they fighting?'_

"What's going here who are you guys fighting?" questioned Trunks.

"What the hell do you mean who are we fighting! These are the blasted androids that you told us about!" yelled Vegeta.

"Yeah and there were three Androids that attacked not two!" added Tien.

"No these aren't the same androids!" yelled Trunks. _'What could have happened has the time line changed that much already?'_

"Where's Goku?" Trunks asked.

"My dad didn't get that heart virus you told us about until today." replied Gohan.

"Dammit, how could the time line have possibly changed so much!" Trunks screamed in frustration.

"It doesn't matter. We've got this guy on the ropes." replied Naruto hovering over Dr. Gero.

_'Another fighter! He seems to be the one who informed them of our arrival, but how can that be! I have no record on him at all just like the blond one! I need a diversion to be able to retreat. There!' _thought Dr. Gero. The android saw the air car containing Bulma and baby Trunks and fired eye lasers at it triggering an explosion.

"No!" yelled Trunks. After the smoke from the explosion cleared it revealed Naruto holding Bulma and baby Trunks.

"Don't worry I got them!" responded Naruto.

"Dammit! Your distraction allowed him to escape!" yelled Vegeta.

"What the hell! Don't you even care about your own wife and son!" raged Trunks.

"There are more important things than that woman and her blasted child! Besides why the hell should you care!" yelled Vegeta._  
_

_'What an asshole. If I wasn't holding his wife and kid right now I'd punch him in the face.'_ thought Naruto.

"You fool! That boy is who that baby eventually grows up to be!" yelled Piccolo.

_'What! That boy is my son? Incredible my son a Super Saiyan! At that age!' _thought Vegeta_.  
_

"You here that Trunks! You grow up to be a nice handsome young man!" cheered Bulma bouncing the baby up and down.

"Not to be rude, but don't we have bigger problems right now?" stated Naruto.

"We need to track him down before he gets to his lab and activate those other androids!" declared Tien.

"Those must be them! The androids I warned you about." said Trunks.

"I don't see what the big deal is as long as you don't let them suck your energy these guys are easy." said Naruto.

"These other androids don't need to absorb energy they have an infinite supply for their own!" replied Trunks.

"Shit! Well that complicates things." asserted Naruto.

"Watch the language!" scolded Bulma.

"What are you doing here anyway? This is hardly the place for a mother and baby." countered Naruto.

"I wanted to see them, this is a major advance in the scientific community to create machines like these." said Bulma.

"We could have just brought you the scraps after we were done." deadpanned Gohan.

"Focus, we need a plan!" yelled Piccolo.

"He's heading back to his lab anyone know where that is?" asked Tien.

"Dr. Gero's lab is located somewhere near the mountains around North City." replied Bulma.

"Alright you guys take off after him. I'll take her back home before catching up." ordered Naruto.

"Keep your eyes peeled! He might try to ambush one of us and steal more energy!" yelled Piccolo as he, Vegeta, Gohan, Tien, and Trunks took off in search of Gero.

"Alright, I'll you get you two home in a second." stated Naruto.

"Wait! I want to take the remains of those guys with me so my dad and I can study them. Maybe we can find a weakness you guys can exploit." said Bulma.

"Hold on I got it covered." said Naruto forming a bunch of clones that began to scavenge the battlefield for android remains.

"Once they're done they'll teleport with the remains to Capsule Corp. Now let's go so I can catch up to the others." said Naruto.

"You know what ChiChi was actually right when she said than one you guys finally turned out to be useful." replied Bulma.

"I resent that." retorted Naruto before he disappeared with Bulma and baby Trunks to Capsule Corp.

* * *

_**Will the Z fighters track down the now revealed Dr. Gero in time? Or will the maniacal doctor reach his lab in time to unleash even more powerful machines of destruction? ****Find out next time on Ninja of the Kais!**_


	5. Goku's Assasins Unleashed

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything

* * *

**Goku's Assassins Unleashed**

Naruto teleported back to the rest of the group, joining them mid flight in their pursuit of Dr. Gero.

"So, do we have a plan or are we just charging in head first and beating the hell out of anything that moves?" questioned Naruto

"He's got too big a jump on us to find him when we can't sense his energy. Our best bet is to try beat him to the lab." replied Piccolo.

"If we get there before him, we can destroy the androids before they are awakened." added Trunks.

_'That's what you think boy. I will fight the androids if only to prove my superior power to all of you, especially Kakarot._' thought Vegeta.

"We're here you guys!" declared Tien causing them all to come to a halt above a mountainous area.

"How in the hell are we supposed to find him in these mountains?" muttered Gohan. "There are tons of spots to hide an entrance."

"We spread out and search the old fashioned way." ordered Piccolo.

Naruto formed a mass of clones to help cover more ground, while the rest of the Z fighters dispersed throughout the area.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

Dr. Gero peeked from around the side of a large rock to see if the coast was clear before rushing to the hidden entrance of his laboratory. He punched a code into the hidden keypad of the door before it opened and he entered with it closing quickly behind him. He didn't notice a Naruto clone that had been tailing him disperse to relay the lab location back to Naruto. He retrieved a remote from a wall and pressed a button which triggered the lights turning on in the lab.

"I had hoped to avoid doing this so soon without completely reworking their programming, but it looks like I don't have a choice. I'll only need them to deal with Vegeta and the blond boy. Then I'll shut them down as I can handle the rest myself." Gero said to himself.

Dr. Gero walked over to the large container labeled Seventeen and pressed the red button on the side. The Pod like container opened revealing a long black haired young man with a red scarf who opened his eyes and stepped out. He briefly glanced at the remote in Dr. Gero's hand before speaking, "Dr. Gero, how are you today?"

"Good, good you seem to be in working order now lets awaken Eighteen." Gero said as he pressed the red button on the next container. This one opened to reveal a young blond girl. As she emerged she too glanced at the remote in Dr. Gero's hand before speaking.

"Hello doctor, how have you been?" Eighteen replied with a docile tone.

"Excellent, you also seem to be functioning properly as well. Maybe I won't have to deactivate you this time. Perhaps the initial programming just took longer take hold." stated Dr. Gero while shifting the remote in his other hand before continuing.

"Now listen closely, we have a situation on our hands and I will show no tolerance for insubordination. Earlier today Thirteen, Nineteen, and myself engaged in battle with Goku and his friends. Thirteen and Nineteen were defeated due to anomalies I could not have accounted for. The first is Vegeta, through some technique he has managed to increase his strength well beyond what my calculations could have predicted. He defeated Thirteen with ease, however he is still no match for either of you. The second and far more dangerous threat is a new warrior they somehow added to their ranks. At first glance he appears to a human teenager, however, he has power and skills that are still unknown. I did not have a chance to thoroughly analyze him as he defeated a fully charged Nineteen with relative ease, however I believe either of you should still be able to handle him easily." explained Dr. Gero.

"So you did create the energy absorbing models and even revamped thirteen with the design." stated Seventeen.

"You turned yourself into one of those models as well." added Eighteen.

The sound of something ramming into the door was then heard.

"Yes, I too have gained eternal life and great strength, but that is not important. The rest of Goku's friends are outside here right now. I command you too destroy them!" demanded Dr. Gero.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

The remaining Z fighters were all gathered outside Dr. Gero's lab deciding the next course of action. Krillin had rejoined the group after leaving Goku back at his house with ChiChi and Yamcha. Currently Vegeta and Naruto wanted to bust the door down, while Trunks pleaded with them to retreat and wait for Goku.

"You don't understand, we cannot fight the Androids. We have to wait for Goku!" pleaded Trunks.

"Look, if you want to do that then go ahead, but most of your info has been shitty. Sitting around and waiting really isn't my style, so let's do this." replied Naruto.

"Looks like your out voted brat!" declared Vegeta as he blasted down the door to reveal Gero with Seventeen and Eighteen.

"A long haired guy with a scarf and a hot girl, I'm horribly terrified." deadpanned Naruto before he let out a sigh. "Well, if I'm going to die I hope she kills me."

"Seriously, I'm shaking in my boots." quipped Vegeta.

"They're androids?" asked Krillin, confused. "But, they look so normal."

"Don't let their looks fool you! They're lethal and stronger than you can imagine!" declared Trunks.

"I do have one question, if he can make people like this, why did the rest of them look so ugly?" remarked Naruto.

"Maybe being cooped up in a laboratory for so long fried his brain. He made himself into the ugliest one of all!" gloated Vegeta.

"So your inferior models failed and you turn to us as a last resort?" asked Seventeen ignoring the commotion.

"You must have figured an energy absorbing model like yourself would be easier to control. And look at them now, they have been destroyed." stated Eighteen.

"It's just like I said, they're not under his control. Let's see how this plays out." proclaimed an amused Naruto.

"Enough!" declared Twenty.

"More! Kick his ass! I bet he created the girl in order fulfill his perverted little fantasies! You sick old perv!" roared Naruto in laughter.

"Destroy these fools! Starting with the blond one!" ordered Gero.

"Silence, you old crackpot. We will deal with them when we are ready." snapped Seventeen.

Eighteen moved back farther into to lab observing a pod labeled Sixteen, "It looks like you let another previous design survive as well. Besides Thirteen you destroyed all the previous models before us."

_'Another Android! How could I have possibly missed one!'_ thought Trunks.

"Do not touch him! Any further insubordination and I will shut you down!" raged Dr. Gero.

"With what old man?" mocked Seventeen. Dr. Gero looked down only to realize in horror that Seventeen had stolen the remote away from him.

"How did you get that!" yelled Dr. Gero.

"Does it really matter? You are not in charge of anyone anymore." declared Seventeen destroying the remote. "Eighteen let out our other friend over there."

"No! I haven't completed his programming. He's unstable!" pleaded Dr. Gero.

"This model is still inferior to me so it doesn't really matter. Open him up." declared Seventeen after scanning him.

"I can't believe this! I'm your creator! You should obey me! I turned you from worthless orphans into powerful beings of eternal life! Street trash that usually amounts to nothing now soldiers of the new red ribbon army. You're ruining all my plans for revenge and world domination..." the ranting doctor stopped at the huge spike in killing intent from one of the Z fighters. Everyone looked back to see Naruto staring down the Doctor with red slitted eyes.

"Your nothing more than Madara and Orochimaru wrapped up into one bastard. I would have let them kill you..." suddenly Dr. Gero felt a presence standing right beside him. "But as an ex-worthless orphan who made something of himself, I can't allow a bastard like you to take even one more breath!"

The Naruto standing beside him struck with a blow that sent the doctor flying headfirst towards the original who was waiting for him.

**"Futon Rasengan! (Wind Release Spiraling Sphere)"** The attack tore right through the doctor from head to toe leaving nothing but dust behind.

"That takes care of that nuisance, now let's open up Sixteen." said Eighteen as she opened the pod.

"Unleashing another android will mean the end of all of us! Noooo!" yelled Trunks as he transformed and prepared to fire a huge energy blast only to be stopped by Piccolo.

"Calm down! Firing a blast from that close could destroy us all! We don't know what else he has in that lab!" yelled the Namek.

"Yeah, we might be able to find something inside later than can help us." added Gohan.

Vegeta glared at his son, "You fool! You've done nothing, but show them how weak you are!"

"Damn it! Don't you guys understand! Another android could destroy us all!" exclaimed Trunks.

"Well, it's too late now. Look, he's awake." stated Naruto regathering their attention.

Now standing with the other two was a large hulking Android with red hair.

"That guy's huge!' stammered Krillin.

"Well, good morning. It must be nice to finally be awakened from that coffin. How long were you in there?" questioned Seventeen.

The tall Android merely stared ahead not responding.

"Are you even able to speak?" asked Seventeen.

"Dr. Gero told us it was dangerous to activate you, so is it true? Do you have anything to say?" inquired Eighteen.

Again the Android duo was met with no response.

"Anybody home in there? The strong and silent type eh? Let's get out of here." said Seventeen.

"Where to?" asked Eighteen.

"Complete the mission what else? Sixteen, Dr. Gero programmed you with a mission to destroy Goku right?" inquired Seventeen.

"Yes, that is correct." responded Sixteen.

"So you can talk." replied Seventeen.

"He must only be able to respond to commands involving his mission." remarked Eighteen.

"I didn't think the old man was that smart. Let's go see if he can complete his mission, finding Goku and destroying him." declared Seventeen.

Suddenly they disappeared and then reappeared outside the lab away from the Z fighters before taking off.

"What the hell just happened?" said Naruto scratching his head.

"Who cares? They're gone and we're safe. Good riddance!" said a sighing Krillin.

"You fool! They're going after Goku!" exclaimed Tien.

"My dad is still in no condition to fight right now!" said Gohan.

"Why the hell are they still following his orders, they rebelled against him." countered Naruto.

"I don't care why or what they are doing! How could they just ignore me like that.. I get it they're afraid." proclaimed Vegeta.

"No, you idiot their going after Goku. We must retreat and regroup with him and attack when he's better." pleaded Trunks.

"Silence boy! I do not have to wait for Kakarot! I am a Super Saiyan of a royal bloodline! Those machines are nothing to me and I will prove it!" declared Vegeta as he transformed and took off after the androids.

"Don't think I'm going to let you have all the fun!" declared Naruto following him right on his heels.

"Why can't they understand! The androids are too strong to face without Goku!" exclaimed Trunks.

"What should we do now?" asked Krillin.

"Whatever it is, we better make it quick. It won't take those two much time to catch up with the androids." said Tien.

"We have no chance of winning without all of us together. We have to go after them!" declared Trunks.

"Those two won't back down from a fight though. And no offense, but they are the two strongest fighters we have right now. Why no let them take a shot?" suggested Gohan.

"Gohan's right. Let's go keep it honest. There's no time to waste!" ordered Piccolo as he and the others powered up and flew after Naruto and Vegeta.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

The three Androids landed on a mountainside road.

"Why are we stopping here?" asked Eighteen.

"I'm going to steal the next car that passes by here." replied Seventeen.

"You really are a fool. We can fly, why would you want to take a car?" responded Eighteen.

"Because we've never done it before." replied Seventeen. "Hey Sixteen, we're taking a car trip. You want to go too?"

"Do I want Goku? " replied Sixteen.

Eighteen shook her head, "He's got nothing but Goku on the brain."

Just then Vegeta and Naruto set down in front of them.

"Boy, I do not need any assistance. I will handle these machines myself." announced Vegeta.

"Hey! Who said you could have all the excitement? If you're a good little man maybe I'll let you fight the big guy while I take the twins." retorted Naruto.

"No way! He looks like a stiff. If anything I should get the little ringer leader and you can have the girl." countered Vegeta.

"I didn't know you swung that way, Trunks will be so disappointed." mocked Naruto.

Vegeta merely grunted in response.

"You hear that Sixteen, you gonna take that?" inquired Seventeen.

"Show us what you can do Sixteen, destroy them." declared Eighteen.

"I refuse." replied Sixteen.

"You refuse, Who does he think..." began Seventeen only to be cut off by Eighteen.

"Who cares we can handle this. You can have the short ugly one, I'll take the new guy." stated the blond android.

"WHAT WAS THAT!" raged Vegeta as Naruto doubled over in laughter.

"You know what, you guys aren't so bad. Way cooler than the previous two stiffs, this should be good." stated Naruto after calming down.

"Whatever, just make sure you don't get in my way." said Vegeta.

"First one to finish gets the big guy." proposed Naruto as he began to power up.

"Well, I guess that means a two for one special for me." replied Vegeta with a smirk.

"You really do swing that way don't you?" retorted Naruto.

"Stupid brat..." grumbled Vegeta.

* * *

_**The nightmare machines from Trunks future have been unleashed with an additional companion. These Androids look like tough customers, but do they really have a chance against the seemingly unstoppable forces of Naruto and Vegeta? Or will the nightmare of Trunks future soon become a reality in the present? The clash begins in the next exciting chapter of Ninja of the Kais!**_


	6. Let the Games Begin

Vegeta: What the hell is up with the last chapter! I am the prince of all Saiyans! I will not tolerate this ridicule!

Naruto: Calm down man, you wouldn't be taking so many shots if you didn't leave your self open to them.

DMF: He's right you know. You have some pretty incredible lines, but for every great one there's three stinkers.

Vegeta: Fine you stop taking shots at me and I won't blast you into the next dimension!

Naruto: You can't do that! He controls the ramen!

DMF: I've got a better idea, you read the disclaimer and "The Champ" will replace you as the butt of all jokes. If there was ever guy who asked for more than you, it's him.

Vegeta: Mwahahaha, now you're speaking my language! Dragon Master Flex **doesn't own anything** if he did all Uchihas would have died years ago!

DMF: _'The Champ & The Prince I can see it now...'_ Now Naruto I have a solution to your ramen problem you see there are these things called dragonballs...

Vegeta: You fool! You don't let the ramen binging idiot near the dragonballs! Now the whole universe is going to fucking die!

* * *

**Let the Games Begin**

The two powerhouses stood there with their aura's blazing furiously as they stared down their respective opponents. The androids remained unfazed by their opponents display of power.

"I don't want them getting in our way follow me." stated Eighteen before flying off a short distance away.

"Too bad, now I won't be there to bail you out after I'm done with this nuisance." mocked Vegeta.

"After this is all over, I'm going to beat the living daylights out of you." retorted Naruto as he flew after her.

"You want to have ago after them? Fine by me, don't come whining for a rematch after you lose." shouted Vegeta to his retreating form. "Now Android are you prepared to face the greatest power in the universe!"

Seventeen sweat-dropped, _'This guy is so full of himself...'_

Vegeta charged at Seventeen and unleashed a furious assault of punches and kicks, putting the Android on the defensive. After Seventeen blocked a powerful kick, Vegeta exploited an opening and landed a punch that knocked the Android back. Vegeta then reappeared above him and landed a double axe handle that sent Seventeen crashing into the ground creating a small crater. He followed that with a volley of rapid fire energy blasts. After the smoke cleared Seventeen rose from the crater with his clothes a little torn, but no worse for wear.

_'Vegeta's strength is far beyond my expectations. Can he actually beat me? Not a chance.' _thought a smirking Seventeen._  
_

"What's the matter? Did you short a circuit? That's too bad because I'm just getting starting!" gloated Vegeta.

"Well, then small fry bring it on." replied Seventeen with a beckoning motion as Vegeta charged in once again.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

The pair of blonds landed in a rocky clearing a short ways away on the side of the mountain. The pair stared down each other, Naruto with a cocky grin and Eighteen with a nonchalant expression. Naruto increased his power level and eased into his demon form.

"Well, well aren't you the tough guy. What are you supposed to be? Some kind of half-man, half-beast?" she taunted.

"No, half-ninja..." he responded before suddenly vanishing and reappearing right in front of her. "**Half-demon!**"

He struck with a quick punch and roundhouse kick and then followed with a double axe handle only to be stopped by an elbow to the gut. He suddenly vanished and reappeared behind her launching a kick from her blind spot. She turned at the last second and grabbed his leg and spun and threw him. Naruto caught himself in mid air as Eighteen charged after him throwing a punch, which passed right through an afterimage. She then gracefully dodged a kick from above her and landed a punch to Naruto's head that send him flying. He caught himself in midair again before he could smash into the side of the mountain.

_'She puts the old hag's super strength to shame! If she wasn't supposed to be some sort of killing machine I'd totally take her out for some ramen...Who am I kidding? I still might!' _thought Naruto as he rubbed the spot where he was hit._  
_

"You've had that stupid grin on your face the entire fight. What is going on in that thick skull of yours?" questioned Eighteen as Naruto suddenly got a glazed look in his eye. "On second thought, maybe I don't want to know."

"I better stop playing around. It's time to kick this up a notch!" declared Naruto as he made his trademark hand sign. **"Tajū Kage Bunshin no Jutsu! (Mass Shadow Clone Technique)"**

After the smoke from the technique cleared Eighteen was stunned to find herself surrounded by two thousand Narutos.

"ALRIGHT! SORRY TO KEEP YOU WAITING, BUT THE REAL FIGHT BEGINS RIGHT HERE!" yelled the all the Narutos.

Eighteen was immediately on the defensive as she was swarmed by a group of the clones launching attacks from every different angle. Somehow she managed to dodge or block every attack until she found an opening and began a counter assault, destroying clones left and right. After getting annoyed at how tedious it was becoming she released a massive wave of energy around her destroyed all the clones. As the smoke dissipated she scanned around to find him nowhere to be seen. She looked up to see a spark of light high in the sky and then realized it was Naruto heading right for her at high speed. She braced herself for his assault only to realize that he was picking up speed and had no intention on slowing down.

"DEATH STRIKE OF THE HEAVENS!" he roared as he collided with her and exploded. A massive crater was created and suddenly a rock at the edge of the crater revealed itself to be Naruto.

"Let's see how she liked that one." stated Naruto with a smirk. The smoke at the bottom soon cleared to reveal an unharmed Eighteen with rips in her clothing surrounded by an energy shield.

"This sucks, now I have to get new clothes." complained Eighteen before shrugging and discarding her tattered jacket. "Well, it's not like those were that great either."

_'I packed a ton of power into that clone! And she's worried about her clothes? What the hell are these guys made of and where can I get some!'_ thought Naruto.

"You're a tricky one aren't you? Too bad your organics will eventually tire out, while mine stay strong." asserted Eighteen.

"Don't worry I've got stamina in spades, we can keep this going all day!" retorted Naruto.

"Oh, really?" she replied before suddenly reappearing in front him an inch from his face. She stroked his face sensually before continuing, "Perhaps we should test that out somewhere more..private?"

Naruto blushed bright red as she suddenly breathed into his ear. "R-R-Really?" he stammered barely keeping himself together.

"Maybe..." she lingered on before suddenly nailing him in the face with a punch that sent him tumbling across the battlefield.

"That was so not fair!" he whined while scrambling to his feet.

"You have your tricks, I have mine." she replied with a smirk.

"Touché." he replied before charging after her. Soon their thunderous blows could be heard echoing throughout the area.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

As Seventeen and Vegeta were in the thick of their battle, the rest of the Z fighters arrived on the seen. Sixteen tossed them a brief glance before going back to observing the fight.

"Looks like we're to late to stop either of them. I can sense Naruto's battle a short ways away from here." said Tien.

"Well, let's see what they can do." stated Piccolo.

_'Maybe I underestimated his power, my father's his actually holding his own against Seventeen. Could he actually win?'_ thought Trunks as he observed the fight.

Suddenly Vegeta connected with a vicious three punch combo that slammed Seventeen into the ground hard.

"I don't know what you we're so worried about Trunks, just look at him go! He's unstoppable!" said Krillin.

"Maybe..." replied Trunks.

"Looks like we have some company. What's this Vegeta, calling in for reinforcements?" taunted Seventeen.

"They're just here to watch. I don't need help from anyone! I'm a Saiyan elite whose become a Super Saiyan. No power compares to mine! Very few people are willing to work as hard as I have to gain such power and I will not be denied my rightful place as the greatest warrior in the universe." proclaimed Vegeta.

"Too bad, you had to work so hard to gain so little." mocked Seventeen.

"Yes, too bad.. for yoouuu!" yelled Vegeta as he blitzed Seventeen.

"On second thought, maybe the Android knocked a few brain cells loose because that last comeback line was just pathetic." deadpanned Krillin.

After the two began exchanging blows once again it became clear that the tables had now turned with Vegeta barely able to keep up. Seventeen shrugged off his blows like they were nothing, but most of the time Vegeta was barely able to touch him.

"This isn't working!" yelled Gohan. "He's waiting for Vegeta to burn through his energy before retaliating!"

"He's right, with every move Vegeta loses power while the android stays strong." added Piccolo.

"Father you've got to stop this! Let us help you!" pleaded Trunks.

Vegeta rose from the ground after taking a vicious blow from Seventeen.

"Silence boy! I don't want your help! A true warrior fights alone!" gasped Vegeta.

Seventeen turned to face them before speaking, "You really don't get it. It wouldn't matter if all you ganged up on me at once! You stand no chance! We androids are now the superior..."

"Hey Android!" Seventeen turned to look at Vegeta only to be nailed with a blast of energy.

"Never turn your back on Vegeta, especially now that I'm a Super Saiyan. You never know what kind of surprise I have in store for you. Now feel the power of a true Super Saiyan!" yelled Vegeta as he launched another massive energy blast at the Android. The smoke cleared to reveal Seventeen standing there with his hand outstretched in front of him smoking with a smirk on his face.

"So, it's going to be that kind of fight? Well then I have few tricks up my sleeve as well." Seventeen pointed his index finger at Vegeta and fired a narrow energy beam right through his left shoulder.

"AAAAAAAAHH!" screamed Vegeta in pain grasping his arm.

"What's the matter? Not enjoying my little surprise?" Seventeen quickly appeared behind the Saiyan and kicks him in the back sending him face down into the ground. He proceeds to stomp on his injured shoulder enjoying the Saiyan prince's screams of pain.

"I'm only doing this for your own good, teaching you some humility. For the prince of about three people you have way too much arrogance." mocked Seventeen as Vegeta soon lost his golden glow and his hair turned back to black. Seeing his father now lose the ability to fight Trunks could no longer hold him self back.

"NO! FATHER!" yelled Trunks as he transformed and blasted off right towards Seventeen and brought his sword around aiming for the Android's head. Without even looking at him, Seventeen moved his arm up to block the attack, shattering the blade in the process.

"H-H-How?" stammered Trunks in shock at his broken blade.

"I told you not to interfere. I guess I can't play around anymore if this is going to be that kind of fight." he responded before suddenly reappearing inside Trunk's guard and kneeing him in the gut. The Super Saiyan from the future doubled over in pain before dropping his transformation and falling to the ground unconscious.

"You were no fun, Vegeta lasted much longer." commented a disappointed Seventeen. "Well that and I'm using more power."

Tien and Piccolo joined the fray, appearing on both sides of Seventeen. Tien aimed a punch that Seventeen dodged effortlessly before backhanding him into the side of the mountain nonchalantly. Piccolo launched a kick at the android's face only for Seventeen to block and land a punch in his gut that doubled the green warrior over. Seventeen then grabs him by the throat and begins to choke him.

"What's it gonna take for you weaklings to learn? You don't stand a chance!" mocked Seventeen while squeezing down harder on his throat. Piccolo brought his hands up to try and free himself, but he could not break the Androids grip.

"No Piccolo!" exclaimed Gohan. _'I can't let this happen! It's just like with Frieza! I won't sit back and watch my friends die again!'_

"THAT'S ENOUGH!" roared Gohan with his power spiking.

"Oh? And what are you going to do about it kid!" gloated Seventeen squeezing even harder on Piccolo's neck. The Namek's hands fell to his side as he began to lose consciousness.

"LEAVE MY FRIENDS ALONE!" roared Gohan as his power exploded and he transformed into a Super Saiyan. Before Seventeen could even react Gohan was upon him delivering a hay maker that sent the Android flying into the side of the mountain.

"G-G-G-Gohan..." stammered Piccolo in awe of his pupil.

"You're incredible Gohan! You've become a Super Saiyan!" yelled Krillin from below.

"Stand back you guys. This fight is mine from here on out. Get these guy some sensu beans." ordered Gohan before he streaked off after android Seventeen.

"Where the hell did that come from?" said Seventeen to as he removed himself from the side of the mountain he landed in. "That kid exploded with more power than the others."

His musings where stopped when Gohan appeared in front of him.

"That was a nice shot kid, but what makes you think you can take me head on now that you've got my full attention?" stated Seventeen.

Gohan just stared him down defiantly.

"Nothing to say? Well, after I'm through with you and your friends. Your dad is next!" This proved to be the wrong thing to say as Gohan suddenly exploded with power.

"NOT ON MY WATCH!" roared Gohan as he charged and landed a kick to the side of Seventeens head. He followed by landing a left cross and then began to pound away at the Androids gut. He then landed an uppercut knocking Seventeen backwards and proceeding to stomp on the android's chest in mid air before a strong kick sent Seventeen towards the ground.

"Look at him go, I can't believe it." uttered the now revived Trunks.

"This boy has far more power than I could have ever imagined." observed Sixteen.

"Gohan..." whispered Piccolo in awe.

Seventeen caught himself in mid air only to stare at Gohan in shock as his furious assault continued.

**"MASENKOOOO..HAAA!"** Gohan fired the blast which seventeen blocked by crossing his arms in front of him. Gohan reappearing right in front of the Android and hitting him in the face with an energy blast at point blank range. Seventeen crashed into the ground forming a crater.

"HUUU-AAAAAAAH!" roared Gohan as he unleashed blast after blast of energy down at the android not letting up in his assault.

_'This boy his power is still growing!'_ thought a shocked Sixteen.

Gohan halted in his energy blast assault bringing his hands back to the side for a finishing move.

**"Kame...hame...HAAAAAAAAA!"** the wave tore through the air at Seventeen and triggered a massive explosion.

"Oh man! Gohan really put the whooping on that guy! No messing around just took it right to him!" said Krillin bringing his arm up to shield himself from the explosion debris.

"Yeah, but was it enough." muttered Piccolo as he observed the heavily breathing Gohan. _'He went for the finishing blow right away. That plus the transformation cost a lot of energy.'_

The debris from the explosion soon cleared to reveal Seventeen surrounded by an energy shield.

"Nice moves kid, but did you really expect that to finish me?" questioned Seventeen.

_'Not even a scratch!' _thought Gohan.

"Gohan put everything he had into that assault, and it didn't even phase him..." uttered a freaked out Krillin.

Seventeen rushed Gohan putting him on the defensive barely blocking the Android's furious assault. Seventeen eventually broke through his guard and landed a blow that sent the newest Super Saiyan flying.

"Come on, what happened to all the power you had a minutes ago?" mocked Seventeen.

"Dammit! How powerful are these things!" screamed Piccolo in frustration.

Gohan staggered to his feet leveling a glare at Seventeen, he charged and aimed a hard kick to the Android's face. Seventeen leaned to the side to dodge before spinning and landing kick of his own to Gohan's head that knocked him out cold.

"Now you know you have no chance against us. I'll leave you to stew in your defeat. Let's go Sixteen, Eighteen should be done by now." ordered Seventeen as the large Android joined him before they flew of to where they sensed the other battle.

Eighteen had decided to kick it up a notch in their fight. Naruto managed to keep himself in the fight with her increase in strength and speed by lacing the surround area with clones and using substitution to avoid critical damage. That was until he accidentally grabbed her breast while trying throw her.

"Why don't you stop dodging and take your punishment like a man!" roared Eighteen.

"I'm not that stupid! I'm telling you it was an accident!" replied Naruto dodging an energy blast.

"Really?" she stopped and questioned causing him to pause.

"Yeah! I was trying..." he suddenly doubled over in pain grasping himself from where she just kneed him in the groin.

"That was a cheap shot..." he gasped.

"You touched mine, I touched yours. Now we're even." she replied with a smirk. She then picked him up by the shirt and flung him into the side of the mountain before blasting him with an energy blast burying him under tons of rumble.

"Well, aren't you having fun." a voice rang out. She looked up to see Seventeen and Sixteen floating above her.

"Took you long enough." she responded.

"Took me long enough yet, your fight was still going on." he retorted.

"Whatever. Are we done here?" she asked while floating towards him.

"Yeah, let's go find us a car." he replied.

They stopped in their tracks when the felt a power from below them. They looked down to see the ground shake before busting apart and Naruto emerging from within.

"Where do you think, you're going huh? I'm not as easy as those other guys. Our fight isn't finished at all!" he exclaimed.

"Look at you? You hardly look like you can continue." replied Seventeen. Naruto's shirt had been torn off and his upper body was littered with bruises and deep cuts.

"Oh, this isn't going to be a problem. Just watch." stated Naruto flaring his power. His red energy healed away all his bruises and cuts and his energy level returned to full strength.

Seventeen stared in awe while Eighteen gave the shirtless warrior an appraising eye.

"This fighter is now restored back to 100% of his capacity. I have no knowledge of a such a technique in my database." stated Sixteen.

"Neither do we, I must say for a flesh and blood type he's not bad." commented Sixteen.

"He should be tired out by now, yet he's back to full power. Interesting, his stamina is nearly as good as ours." added Seventeen.

"We have no records of you at all from Dr. Gero. Who are you?" asked Seventeen.

"I would like to know what you are as well. Your energy signature is far different from the other beings on this planet." stated Sixteen.

"He claims to be a half demon." supplied Eighteen.

"Demon? Come on now, that is just ridiculous." said Seventeen dismissively.

"You a _Android_ built to kill an _alien_ are questioning the fact that I can be part demon? Are you serious?" questioned Naruto.

"Well, then what's a demon doing hanging around that band of idiots? Shouldn't you be out stealing peoples souls or something?" taunted Seventeen.

"For the record I was born a something similar to the humans of this planet. Various circumstances caused me to become like this. I have a question for you though, what is the point of all of this? I know you're not following Gero's orders. And you have no grudge against Goku, you've never even met the guy." said Naruto.

"It's just a game to us. We're just looking to have some fun." supplied Seventeen.

"A game?" puzzled Naruto before a smirk crossed his features, "Alright, I'll play. You guys go ahead and get started I'll make sure to drop in later to have some fun. Sorry for all the trouble we've caused. They didn't understand what kind of game this was." He flew back towards the rest of the Z fighters, laughing up a storm.

"Finally, a sensible one out of their group." commented Seventeen.

"You're just happy that you've found someone as juvenile as you are." retorted Eighteen.

"Don't think I didn't see you checking him out just now." he remarked. "Now let's go, I want to find a nice car to steal."

* * *

_**The Androids have made their intentions clear and the race to Goku is on! Can the Z fighters buy Goku enough time to recover? And what plans does Naruto have up his sleeve for Seventeen's "game"? The mayhem begins next time on Ninja of the Kais!**_


	7. Return of the Namek

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything

* * *

**Return of the Namek**

After getting everyone healed up with sensu beans, everyone regrouped at the site of Naruto's battle with Eighteen.

"...so they just left talking about driving a car for fun or something." informed Naruto.

"They just left without doing anything else? This doesn't make any sense! The Androids of my time were ruthless. Their idea of a game was torturing and killing." muttered a baffled Trunks.

"We already know that! The time lines have shifted these aren't the same androids!" growled Piccolo in frustration.

"It's not just that, these Androids are much stronger than the ones I fought. They were stronger than me, but not this much stronger." stated Trunks.

"Maybe, it could be that Dr. Gero's thought process was changed when making the androids in this time." said Gohan.

Trunks gave him a questioning glance, "What do you mean?"

"Trunks, in your time line my dad was already dead from the heart virus, so Dr. Gero would have known about it and his goals would have changed. Revenge would have been useless, so he would have stopped working to make them stronger." explained Gohan.

"So what your saying is that in this time line he focused on making them strong enough to beat Goku and never got around to making them insane killing machines." surmised Naruto.

Gohan nodded, "Exactly, in the other timeline he must had focused on turning them in killing machines to pursue his goal of taking over the world."

"That still doesn't change the fact that these Androids are still very dangerous." reminded Piccolo.

"No, but if we can prove ourselves superior they may back off." countered Naruto.

"So what do we do now?" asked Tien.

"We need to wait for Goku to recover before making our next big move." stated Trunks.

_'I will not depend on Kakarot!'_ thought Vegeta as he clenched his fists in anger before flying off at high speed. Trunks turned to go after him, only to be stopped by Piccolo.

"Let him go. His pride and abilities were just crushed. He's needs to reevaluate things." advised Piccolo.

"Hopefully, he'll learn from this. Fighting alone is one thing, but fighting only for yourself...he'll become much stronger if he becomes less selfish." added Naruto.

"That guy is just too stubborn though, I don't think he'll ever understand something like that." said Krillin.

Gohan then spoke up, "We can't let the Androids get to my father. Maybe we should move him somewhere else."

"You guys work on getting Goku back to full strength and keeping him away from the androids. I've got something to take care of. Don't follow me." declared Piccolo.

"Care to enlighten the rest of us on your plan?" inquired Naruto.

"No, I don't. This is something I have to do alone." he stated before flying off.

"What is he up to?" questioned Gohan.

Krillin stared at the direction he was flying in before an idea popped into his head.

"Maybe, just maybe, he's going to reunite with Kami. If he really thinks the situation is that desperate he might do it." answered Krillin.

"What will that do?" asked Trunks.

"Kami and Piccolo used to be one being. Master Roshi once said if they had never separated he'd be the strongest there is, even stronger than a Super Saiyan! He'd be a Super Namek!" proclaimed Krillin.

"This super thing again? Completely lame!" mocked Naruto.

"Let's get back in focus here guys! Where should we move Goku too?" questioned Trunks.

"Let's take him to master Roshi's house. They wouldn't think to look for him there. It is far enough from Goku's house to buy us a lot of extra time." suggested Krillin.

"Alright let's split up. Gohan, Krillin and Tien you go and get Goku ready to move. Naruto, you and I can head to capsule corp to get my mom to loan us a ship to move Goku." ordered Trunks.

"Good thinking! By moving him that way our powers can be suppressed so they wont be able to track us." added Tien.

"Good, hopefully your mom will have some supplies." said Naruto with an evil gleam in his eye.

"Supplies for what?" inquired Krillin.

"Don't want to ruin the surprise, but trust me it will be good! Let's go!" he yelled as the five fighters flew off to their respective destinations.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

Much to Eighteen's ire, Seventeen chose to hijack a pink delivery van. The Androids were currently cruising down the highway at moderate speeds.

"Why of all things did you steal this van? If you wanted fun you should have picked a fast car." complained Eighteen.

"Just, sit back and enjoy the ride! I already told you it's not about how fast we get there." replied Seventeen.

"Do you even know where Goku is?" she asked.

"We'll try his house first. Relax, Sixteen at least knows how to do that." he replied.

The large android was staring out the window with a smile on his face enjoying the scenic view.

"Whatever, wake me up when we get to the next town." she said while leaning her seat back. "I want some new clothes."

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

Vegeta stood on the edge of a cliff deep within the mountains in thought. The humiliation of his defeat at the hands of android Seventeen hung over him, the battle replaying over and over in his mind.

"I don't understand! How could I have been beaten so easily! Like I was nothing!" ranted Vegeta clenching his fists in anger. "The Super Saiyans of legend were unrivaled! I am their descendant, royal blood flows through my veins, how could I be defeated by mere machines!"

He stared up into the falling rain with lightning flashing and thunder echoing around him. The storm was seemingly a physical manifesting of the frustration and turmoil swirling inside his mind.

_'Even the Kakabrat did better than I did and he transformed just then! I could feel his power fluctuating and one point it reached even higher than mine!' _he thought.

"Could it be, that I have not reached the plateau, but only the beginning of the Super Saiyan powers? Perhaps there are higher goals for me to reach and I have yet to obtain the true peak of my potential!" he declared.

Vegeta yelled with fury as he powered up and transformed into a Super Saiyan.

"I will ascend beyond my current limitations and obtain great power like there has never been seen before! And then I will destroy those Androids and prove once and for all that I am the greatest warrior in the universe! Then I will show the rest of those fools, especially Kakarot and that other clown, who is truly the best!" he proclaimed.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

Naruto and Trunks were having a conversation about their respective journeys to join up with the Z fighters when they sensed Vegeta's fluctuations in power.

"You feel that?" asked Naruto.

"Yeah, it was my father. What is he up too?" questioned Trunks.

"He lost right? Must be pissed off and pounding the crap out of a training area. Well, that's what I would do." replied Naruto.

"You lost too, why aren't you doing that right now?" stated Trunks with a raised eyebrow.

"I didn't lose! They left so it was a tie!" declared Naruto.

"Right..." replied a smirking Trunks. "So tell me more about the other-world."

Naruto continued from where he left off as the two sped through the air towards capsule corp.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

High in the sky upon the lookout Mr. Popo watered his plants as Kami sat in deep meditation. Their peaceful day was disrupted by the arrival of Piccolo as he stormed towards Kami.

"Piccolo, good to see you." stated Kami.

"I can't say the same. You know what I've come here for old man." replied Piccolo.

"Yes, you wish to for us to fuse and become one being once again. However, I cannot acquiesce to your request at this time." answered Kami.

"What is the hold up old man! Don't you understand what's going on down there!" yelled Piccolo in outrage.

"These androids are not the biggest threat out there. So far they have done no harm to this planet. They spared all of you in battle when you could have easily all been destroyed." responded Kami.

"It's nothing but a sick game to them." retorted Piccolo.

"I don't believe so. There is a much darker presence that is lurking in the shadows. It has been growing stronger for the past few years. I will make my decision when this new threat decides to show itself." said Kami.

"Fine, I can wait. Let me know when you're ready." grumbled Piccolo as he took a seat and began to meditate.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

A few days had passed since the skirmish with the Androids. The group minus Piccolo, Vegeta, and Naruto were now at Master Roshi's house waiting patiently for Goku to recover. Naruto had vanished and according to Bulma, he and her father had taken over the Audio \ Video production sector of Capsule Corporation working on some project. Apparently her father kept ranting about finally giving some poor excuse for a scientist what's been coming to him for years. Krillin, Trunks, and Gohan currently sat outside discussing their predicament.

"I still don't get it. You guys are a lot stronger than in my time, but so are the Androids. If you were at the levels you're at right now in my time we would have stood a great chance at winning." said Trunks.

"When my dad wakes up we'll find away." stated Gohan confidently.

"I still can't believe you're a Super Saiyan Gohan! At your age too, you're shattering all the record books for strength." said Krillin.

"Yeah, in my time you didn't become a Super Saiyan till much later." added Trunks.

"I've always had explosive power, when ever I get really mad and just lose it my power increases, but I could never sustain it. I was just lucky my rage pushed me to that level. Even so, it still wasn't enough." replied Gohan.

"I don't know about it not being enough. You had the best shots on that Android all day, even better than Vegeta!" exclaimed Krillin.

"Still, I could feel it and Vegeta probably felt it too. We could still be stronger. We've been acting like Super Saiyan is the peak of Saiyan abilities. I feel like we can do better and still become stronger as Super Saiyans." suggested Gohan.

"You're crazy, I mean Super Saiyan power is already mind boggling as it is, what could possibly be beyond it?" questioned Krillin.

"I don't know, but Gohan is right. We need to find away to somehow surpass our current limitations, maybe we've only scratched the surface..." pondered Trunks.

"Well, I'm going to see how Goku's doing you coming?" asked Krillin as he stood up to walk back in.

"Sure, what about you Gohan?" asked Trunks as he moved to follow him inside.

"Naw, I'll stay out here for a while." he said as he stood before moving out to the water. He transformed into a Super Saiyan before going through various exercises.

"That kid, just like his dad." muttered Krillin.

As the two walked in they noticed everyone gathered around the TV. Bulma turned and gathered their attention.

"Hey guy's come check this out! That's the capsule commercial set. It must be what they were working on!" exclaimed Bulma pointing at the television as the commercial began.

The scene is of a guy (Kakashi) getting shut down by a girl at a bar, "Having a hard time closing the deal?" questioned the voice over. Scene shifts to a guy (Sasuke) trying to repair a hole in his blow up doll, "Tired of settling for those lame blow up dolls?" asked the voice again. Scene shifts to a guy (Jiraiya) grouping a woman and them getting the crap beat of out him, "Is this the only type of action you're getting?" inquired the voice. Scene shifts again now to a guy (Orochimaru) disguising himself before entering a gay bar, "Have an itch you don't want other to know needs scratching?" Scene shifts to a bunch of women fleeing from a guy (Vegeta) after seeing his face, "Have a face that only a mother could love?"

Then Dr. Gero appears on the screen in a red suit with a gold cane and a pink fedora hat, "Hello my name is Dr. Ono Gero the worlds #1 expert in robotics and do I have to solution for you! Gero's Mechanical Ho's!" Android 17 and 18 walk onto the screen placing an arm around each of Gero's shoulders. "Real life androids that respond and cater to your every fantasy no matter the gender or orientation! It's even better than doing it with a real person! I used to be a crazy old nerd with delusions of conquering the world. Now I'm the biggest pimp the worlds seen since Don Juan! Call today!"

The scene shifts to Hercule Satan finishing a workout. "Yo it's the Champ Hercule Satan here! Being the worlds toughest man I got a reputation to keep up, that's why when I really wanna cut loose I call on my Model 17. He's everything a guy could ask for!' Android 17 entered the room dressed in nothing but a man-thong and hugs Hercule. "There's no need to be on the down lo when you can call for a Gero's Mechanical Ho!"

"This company is a subdivision of Naruto incorporated." stated a voice as the commercial ended.

Everyone in the room stared at each other in shock before erupting in laughter.

"Oh, man I know he's going to get us all killed, but that was just too funny!" gasped Tien between laughs.

"This is epic!" exclaimed Krillin as he rolled around the floor with laughter.

Even Trunks was beside himself with laughter, "After picturing them as insane killers for so long this is just to much!"

"If the Androids don't kill him Vegeta will!" roared Bulma.

"Hello? Hello? Is this Gero's mechanical ho's?" everyone turned to see Master Roshi on the phone. "Get me a model 18 immediately! Hello? Hello?"

The room erupted in laughter once again. Upstairs ChiChi was puzzled by the roars of laughter.

"What is going on down there?" said ChiChi as she turned to see Goku laughing lightly in his sleep and chuckled. "So you're in on it too, huh?"

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

At capsule corp the two masterminds behind the commercial observed the fruits of their labor.

"Ah, splendid job we did don't you think?" declared Dr. Briefs sipping a cup of coffee.

"Indeed!" replied Naruto taking a sip of his own cup.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

As they cruised down the highway through a city Seventeen noticed that the various cars passing them by kept honking at them and giving them cheers of adoration.

"The people of this planet are all idiots." he muttered only to be interrupted by a phone ringing. He looked up to see a cell phone strapped to his visor.

"Where the hell did this phone come from?" he asked.

"Who cares just throw it away." said Eighteen.

"I'll answer, it might be fun." responded Seventeen as he placed it on speakerphone and answered the call.

"Hello?" he spoke.

"Hello? Dude, is this Gero's Mechanical Hos?" responded the voice on the other end.

"What?" exclaimed Seventeen.

"Dude! I want an Android model Seventeen, but can you make him look less gay? It's a present for my sister!" said the caller.

"What the hell is going on here?" roared Seventeen as Eighteen snickered at him.

"You're right it was fun!" she mocked as he chucked the phone out the window.

"Obviously, it's a lame attempt by that guy to make this more interesting. He'll have to do better than a crank call." stated Seventeen offhandedly.

His sister rolled her eyes at him, "You're just jealous you didn't think of it first."

Suddenly a orange ball of cloth smacked against the windshield unwrapping itself against it so they couldn't see. Seventeen slammed on the brakes bringing the van to a complete halt. The trio looked up to an advertisement spread on the orange cloth like it was a banner. On it was a picture of Doctor Gero's head with his mouth drooling and a nose bleed staring at the image of Seventeen posing in a man-thong. "Gero's Mechanical Hos!" was displayed in large black print. Sixteen started chuckling at the sight of it while Eighteen roared with laughter. Seventeen merely stared upon the horrible sight in disbelief before his eyes narrowed.

"You win this round funny man, but the next will be mine." he mumbled as he stepped outside the van to remove to orange monstrosity. He soon found that the van and had somehow been painted orange and banners containing the same advertisement had been glued to the sides and back.

"ARGH!" he screamed in frustration gaining the attention of several people on the street.

"Dude you rock!" yelled a random guy passing by.

"Look mommy it's the man on TV!" shouted a little girl who pointed at him from the sidewalk then pointed up towards a Giant screen on top of building playing the commercial.

"How shameful!" shouted mother as she covered the child's eyes and carried her away. Seventeen kicked the van in frustration.

"Come on, now I have to find myself a disguise." said Seventeen as he sped away on foot.

"What a day this is turning out to be. Seventeen gets humiliated and I get new clothes! Guy really knows how to court a gal." said Eighteen as she and Sixteen followed.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

Naruto smirked as his clones dispersed to relay back the information of Seventeen's reaction.

_'Hahaha! This is only the beginning!'_ thought Naruto. His future planning was interrupted by what he was hearing from Dr. Briefs on the phone.

"Well, I'll be! You are right it is his vehicle. I could have sworn the boy took it with him. I wouldn't expect Trunks to leave something like that lying around. No worries I'll send him out to pick it up." said Dr. Briefs as he hung up the phone.

"What happened?" asked Naruto.

"Apparently one our employees found Trunks Time Machine in the wild out near Ginger town."

"He doesn't seem the type to leave stuff lying around." stated Naruto.

"The odd thing is that it looks like it's been sitting there for some time. I'll call Bulma and have her let him know." he said as he picked up the phone again.

_'Maybe it''s another time traveler? yeah right like it would happen twice...Now he's probably going to disguise himself..'_ thought Naruto as he returned to prank planning.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

"TRUNKS! WHAT WERE YOU THINKING LEAVING YOUR TIME MACHINE IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE! YOU'RE IN BIG TROUBLE MISTER!" screamed Bulma as she hung up the phone.

"Wah! Wah! Wah!" wailed baby Trunks as if to say 'I didn't do anything!'

"Not, you little guy," cooed Bulma as she rocked the baby to calm him down. "The irresponsible teenager you became!" she declared leveling a glare at the older Trunks.

"Mom it's right here I swear!" pleaded Trunks as he pulled out the capsule containing his Time Machine. "See right here!"

"Wait, but then how is there one here?" she puzzled holding up a piece a paper.

"This is impossible! Maybe it's a different vehicle that just looks like it?" he exclaimed while reading the paper.

"Whatever it is, we need to go check it out." said Krillin reading it from over his shoulder.

"You guys stay here and hold down the fort. I'll go with Trunks and Bulma to check it out." offered Gohan.

"That sounds like a good plan. I'll go upstairs to relieve ChiChi. Maybe playing with the baby for a little while will cheer her up." said Krillin.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

A short time later Gohan, Trunks, and Bulma found themselves searching through the area the time machine look alike was spotted.

"It's around here somewhere..." said Trunks as he searched through the foliage.

"Hey, I found it! Over here!" yelled Gohan. Trunks and Bulma followed the sound of his voice and came face to face with the Time Machine.

"Yeah that's definitely it. Let's see." he said pulling out a capsule, pressing the button, and throwing it. The capsule revealed his own Time Machine in pristine condition.

"So this second one doesn't belong to you after all." commented Bulma.

"No, it's the same take a look at this." Trunks said stepping up to the second machine and wiping away some dirt on the side to reveal the words and symbol for hope.

"In the future you put this on here before I left to come back the first time." he said before pointing to the ship he just pulled out. "It's in the same spot on the other one too."

"So how did this one get here?" Bulma asked puzzled by the situation.

"Someone or something used this machine to come to the past, and by the looks of it they did it a long time ago." said Gohan as he examined the interior of the vehicle finding two eggshell like objects.

"What is that?" asked Trunks looking at the things in Gohan's hands.

"Let me see." said Bulma taking the objects away from Gohan.

"It's definitely some type of egg," she said looking them over. "But what hatched from it?"

"Whatever it is, it made that hole." replied Gohan looking up at the roof of the vehicle.

"There's not a lot of energy left." commented Trunks as he pressed various buttons on the machine's console. "How can this be? According to this the ship arrived four year ago, one year before I arrived to warn you guys."

"So the timeline had already deviated before you even arrived. No wonder so many things have been different." said Gohan.

"You guys! What is that! It's disgusting!" yelled Bulma as she pointed at what looked to be a giant creature a few yards behind the ship. Trunks walked over and touched the thing and looked to see slime on his finger.

"It's molten skin. Whatever came from the Time Machine shed it's skin and left." stated Trunks.

"That still doesn't explain how it got in the ship or who sent it." said Gohan.

"It's out there now, not far from here, but we don't have time to deal with this." replied Trunks.

"Let's get out of here! Someone else can investigate more thoroughly!" declared a creeped out Bulma.

"That's fine." Gohan said as Bulma opened a capsule revealing an air ship and hopped inside.

"I'll meet you back at Roshi's." she said before taking off. The two fighters quickly followed.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

Piccolo was beginning to lose patience waiting on Kami to make up his mind when suddenly the elder Namek stoop up with a look of horror, "My goodness, this is far worse than I ever imagined."

"What happened? Is it the androids?" demanded Piccolo.

"No the evil being has revealed itself, and it must be stopped at all costs." stated Kami with a look of resolution on his face.

"What do you mean?" asked Piccolo.

"Don't worry you will understand everything after we merge." replied Kami.

"Kami, no..." pleaded Mr. Popo with tears in his eyes.

"So you've finally come to your senses old man." said a smirking Piccolo.

"Yes, I believe in you Piccolo. You will use this power to do what is right for this planet and its people. It is what must be done Mr. Popo." stated Kami.

"Alright, but we're going to use my body." added Piccolo before they began.

"Agreed, now just place your hand on my chest." ordered Kami.

Piccolo placed his hand on Kami's chest and Kami yelled as a blueish white aura surrounded him. A few seconds later there was a bright burst of light and only the body of Piccolo remained looking down at his hands.

"Kami!" yelled Mr. Popo as his old friend vanished. He now stared in awe at the presence of the being who now stood before him.

"Both Kami and Piccolo are now gone. The Namek who long ago sought to protect this planet as its guardian has returned!" he declared as he blasted off the lookout.

* * *

_**What is the great evil that had Kami so worried? Can Naruto's antics continue to put a damper in the Androids' progress or will Seventeen wise up and make a beeline for Goku while he's still out of commission? With disapperance of Kami what will become of the dragonballs? And will Orochimaru finally come out of the closet? More secrets will be revealed in the next action packed edition of Ninja of the Kais!**_


	8. A New Threat

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything

* * *

**A New Threat**

Naruto sat at a desk within Capsule Corporation's main laboratory scribbling out ideas for his next move against Seventeen. Dr. Briefs sat on the other side of the room watching the television waiting to aid in their next caper.

_'Now, I could use that idiot from the TV again, Satan...Or I could travel around and give him a peeping reputation like Ero-sennin..Argh! So many options to choose from!' _his thoughts were interrupted by the Doc.

"How Bizarre..." gasped Dr. Briefs staring at the television in disbelief.

"What's going on?" Naruto asked him.

"Come look at this report, it seems people are mysteriously vanishing in Ginger Town." replied Dr. Briefs still not looking away the screen.

Naruto stood from his seat and walked over to view the television. A reporter was on the screen surrounded by empty piles of clothes.

"As you can see nothing seems to be left of these people but their clothes. There seems to be no evidence to provide any sort of theory on whats happening here. The police have ordered people to..." The sound of gun shots in the background startled the reporter. "Oh no what in the.." The signal cut out leaving a standby message.

"This is serious, I have to go check it out." stated Naruto as he slipped into his fighting gear.

"Do you think it's the Androids?" questioned Dr. Briefs.

Naruto shook his head no, "No way Doc, not their style. They would just blow everything up, not make people disappear. Where is Ginger town?"

Dr. Briefs pointed it out to him on the map on the wall. Naruto concentrated for a moment before phasing out of view.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

As he appeared high above Ginger town, Naruto sensed two energy signatures he couldn't identify. He kept his power level suppressed as he moved discretely through the town to not alert them of his presence.

_'If need be, I should prepare for an ambush...'_ he thought to himself as he jumped over the rooftops. He suddenly halted his progress and dropped down to a discrete location behind an empty building. He peaked around the corner witnessing Piccolo gripping his shriveled arm while facing down some giant humanoid insect creature. The thing was green with black spots and was wagging it's tail behind it.

_'What the hell is that thing? It must be responsible for whatever is going on around here and it looks like Piccolo is next! I need to move fast!_ he thought only to be stopped by a telepathic message from Piccolo.

_'I'm trying to interrogate this thing, stay hidden until he gives us what we want. Then we make our move.' _ordered Piccolo. _  
_

_'Alright I'm moving into position, give a signal when you're ready!' _replied Naruto through the link as he prepared for a surprise attack._  
_

"I may not be a match for you, but you won't stand a chance against the others." declared Piccolo.

"You have no idea how powerful I really am! Vegeta? Goku? Gohan? Even together they are no match for me!" gloated the creature.

"If you're so confident, why don't you tell me who you really are. It's not like it will make a difference." stated Piccolo.

"Fine I will grant you this one final request. My name is Cell, I am an android. The single greatest creation of the brilliant Dr. Gero. In order to create the perfect warrior_,_ Dr. Gero fused all the traits of the greatest fighters the world has ever seen into one being. He recognized that the task would not be completed in his lifetime and left the work to his supercomputer while he pursued other projects."

_'Lifetime? Dr. Gero made himself into an android..wait that means he is not from this time line!' _thought Piccolo and Naruto._  
_

Cell continued, "The computer soldiered on in his absence working to integrate the cells of the greatest warriors. The ruthless Saiyan Nappa, the young and promising Gohan, Dr. Gero's greatest enemy Goku, the prideful Prince Vegeta, the tyrant Frieza, and even you Piccolo, all woven into my DNA."

"I see, that's how you knew the Kamehameha, you inherited it from Goku. It's also why I sensed so many different fighters from you." concluded Piccolo.

"Yes, I have already obtained the best you have to offer." replied Cell.

"Tell me this, how did you mange to gather our cells? I think we wold have noticed any suspicious people." inquired Piccolo.

"It's very simple, Dr. Gero has tiny tracking devices the size of a house fly. You never would have even noticed them had I not pointed it out to you. The devices record data and collect specimen for the supercomputer deep with the lab to use." replied Cell.

_'We need to examine that lab thoroughly and destroy everything' _thought Piccolo.

The thoughts of Naruto were a bit different, _'Maybe if we go through his lab we can find something to use against them...'_

"If all this is true then why are you here? How did you get here?" asked Piccolo.

"I suppose one more answer won't hurt. I cannot reach my full potential from the power of humans alone. I require a certain source of power, that of Androids Seventeen and Eighteen. After I finally developed to this form, I discovered that Androids Seventeen and Eighteen were somehow defeated by Trunks preventing me from obtaining my ultimate form. Unfortunately for him, I discovered that he possessed a time capsule. I disposed of Trunks and regressed to my larval form to use the time capsule to return to this time a few years ago where I was sure the Androids still existed."

_'I understand now. In his time Trunks was returning to inform us that he defeated the Androids. Cell hijacked his time machine and ended up here instead polluting our time line even more.'_

"I've answered enough questions for now. It was interesting meeting you Piccolo, pity you couldn't provide more of a challenge." stated Cell.

"I'm not done yet!" yelled Piccolo as he ripped of his shriveled arm before roaring as he regenerated it.

Cell smirked, "Ah yes, I see your were stalling for time and information. I should have known. With your friends so close the odds are no longer in my favor."

"Dammit! You guys have the worst timing!" yelled Piccolo as he sensed the incoming power signatures. He turned back to see that Cell had suppressed his power and vanished. Naruto emerged from his hiding spot perplexed.

"How the hell did he do that? One second he was there, the next...gone, no trace of him." said Naruto.

"I don't know, all I know is that our problems just became a lot bigger. Let's wait for the others to get here." replied Piccolo.

A few minutes later Gohan and Trunks arrived at their location along with Tien.

"What happened here?" asked Gohan.

"Yeah we sensed all sorts of strange energy signatures." added Tien.

"Hold on a minute, I'll explain when Vegeta gets here." replied Piccolo. Seconds later the Saiyan Prince landed looking for answers.

"Namek! What happened here!" demanded Vegeta.

With the group all gathered Piccolo proceeded to report the information he obtained from Cell.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

"So, what do we do now?" questioned Naruto. _'In the words of Shikamaru this just became troublesome.'_

"I'll face this Cell eventually, but right now I have more important matters to attend to." declared Vegeta.

"What the androids?" asked Trunks.

"No, he's going to try to ascend." replied Gohan.

"So the brat has figured it out as well and I know Kakarott will do the same. Once I have ascended beyond a Super Saiyan the Androids and Cell with be nothing to me!" proclaimed Vegeta.

"Is that even possible?" questioned Tien.

"Of course, if it was futile he wouldn't even bother with it." answered Naruto. Vegeta smirked in agreement.

"Fine then I'm going to try and track down Cell, he'll be easier to find than the Androids." stated Piccolo.

"I had a clone tailing the androids earlier, they were taking their time trying to track down Goku. They were no where near hear, so Cell should have his own troubles finding them." commented Naruto.

"I'll help Piccolo track down cell." decided Tien.

"I'm going to wait for my dad to wake up. When he's ready we'll meet back up with you guys." stated Gohan.

"I'm going to Gero's lab to see if I can find anything. If I do I will use my clones to transport the stuff back to Capsule Corp. Between the Doc and Bulma they may be able to find a weakness in Cell or the Androids we can exploit. After I've gotten all I can I'll destroy it." declared Naruto.

"I'll go with you then, perhaps I can find answers to defeating the androids back in my own time as well." said Trunks. They all nodded in affirmation of their respective plans before taking off to their respective destinations.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

Naruto and Trunks arrived at the entrance to Gero's lab finding it just as they left it before. The duo entered the main room with Naruto moving over towards the various monitors and equipment while Trunks looked through the pods containing the Androids.

"The rest of these pods are empty..." he commented while looking into the ones that were unopened.

"Yeah, he apparently destroyed all models besides the ones we've faced so far." commented Naruto.

"There seems to be nothing of interest here, we need to find the entrance to the supercomputer that's building cell." stated Trunks. Naruto looked around the room and spotted a panel sticking out on the center of the back wall. He walked over and lifted the panel to find a green button. After he pressed the button the wall slide apart from the center revealing hidden elevator.

"Nice find, this must take us down to the hidden lair." stated Trunks as they stepped inside.

The elevator hummed taking them down deep underground. It stopped and opened revealing a short passageway that ended at a massive steel door. Trunks pried the door open and stepped inside. Naruto followed behind him flipping a switch on the wall turning on the lights.

"This must be the housing for the master computer." stated Trunks looking at the giant monitor in front of him.

"And this must be Cell." said Naruto stepping in front of a glass water tank containing a small green blob.

"He's still in the early stages of development. Hard to believe that little thing contains the cells of the greatest fighters in the world."

Naruto have moved over to the main consul and lifted a set of plans off the main desk, "This is useless, plans for a self heating pot? What the hell?"

Trunks picked up another set of blueprints and gasped in shock, "I don't believe it!"

"What?" asked Naruto looking over his shoulder, "Plans for Android Seventeen. Looks like we hit the mother load."

Trunks shook with excitement, "Yes we have! Everything is right here! With these plans we might find a weakness to exploit!"

As Trunks scanned over the plans a white square on the left wall caught Naruto's attention. As he moved closer to inspect it he saw that the square was sticking out from the gray metallic wall. He pressed on the square and the left half of the wall rolled back behind the right revealing a separate room. He walked in to come face to face with tons of monitors and machines. He soon recognized the room for what it was.

"If that was the mother load than this is a gold mine...it's a freaking Android assembly factory." he stated in awe. Trunks stood behind him equally shocked.

"He must have been planning on building more Androids once he perfected Seventeen and Eighteen." added Trunks.

"The equipment and computers everything you need to build an army is here." said Naruto.

"We need to destroy this place!" declared Trunks.

"No! If the blueprints fail to provide a weak point, examining everything here will!..._Or maybe we could go in another direction_." declared Naruto thinking the last bit too himself. He formed a mass of clones and one started barking out orders on how to move the equipment.

"What are they doing?" questioned Trunks.

"Hauling all this stuff back to Capsule Corp, only your Mom and the Doc will be able to make any sense of all this stuff. With the blueprints and all this we're guaranteed to find something. Let's go report back the good news." He grabbed Trunks by the shoulder and the vanished from the lab.

Bulma nearly fell out of her chair in surprise as Naruto and Trunks suddenly appeared in front of her.

"Don't do that!" she scolded them.

"Sorry, but we've got great news! We investigated Dr. Gero's lab and found blueprints for the Androids!" declared Trunks.

"What's that I here? You found something that incompetent fool's lab?" questioned Dr. Briefs peeking his head through the door.

"More than that all his equipment he used for making them was there in pristine condition. I've got a bunch of clones working on hauling it all back here right now!" replied Naruto.

"I see, between the blueprints and the equipment maybe we can find a weakness." surmised Bulma.

"That or maybe more..." muttered Dr. Briefs scratching his chin. Naruto gave him a smirk letting him know he was thinking the same thing.

"So much for all you muscle heads, this time brains will save the day!" gloated Bulma.

"Maybe Mom, maybe..." replied a hopeful Trunks.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-

"Seventeen what are you doing? Let's go!" yelled Eighteen. As soon as she went shopping for new clothes, her brother disappeared. Sixteen hung out in the park in the center of town ever since they arrived. Now she finds him hiding out on a roof top disguising himself using a bandanna to cover his face, some sunglasses and a hat.

"Hold on a sec look over there!" Seventeen pointed down to a small stand across the street. Eighteen looked down to see two Narutos wolfing down bowl after bowl after bowl of noodles.

She was still confused, "It's him again, so what. Why are you hiding up here?"

"I'm not hiding! I figured out how he pulled it off. You said he could make copies of himself, so he must have been using the copies to tail us this entire time. Those must be them. Just listen to them!" said Seventeen. Eighteen leaned over and focused he hearing on the duo.

"Ah, such great ramen! The boss would be pissed if he knew we were eating all this ramen instead of him." rambled the clone as he ordered another bowl.

"It's ramen! The boss would commend us for providing him with the memory of such an outstanding consumption of the greatest food ever created!" replied his partner.

"I here that! Old man ten more bowls!" the first one yelled out.

"That things been there for hours eating and ranting about ramen!" ranted Seventeen.

"So what?" questioned Eighteen not following.

"Now I have something against him! Come on sis, it's time to teach that punk a lesson!" declared Seventeen.

"Okay..._I think he's finally lost it_." She thought the last bit to herself.

* * *

_**What fiendish plan has Seventeen come up with to obtain is revenge on Naruto? Can Bulma and Dr. Briefs find a weakness for the Z fighters to exploit against the Androids and Cell? And what other plans do the Doc and Naruto have for Dr. Gero's equipment and blueprints? The plot thickens next time on Ninja of the Kais!**_


	9. Operation Hyperbolic Time Chamber

**Disclaimer: **I don't own anything

* * *

**Operation Hyperbolic Time Chamber**

Gohan stood on the edge of the water outside the Kame House throwing various punches and kicks at an invisible enemy while powered up in his Super Saiyan form. While guarding his father from a possible Android assault, Gohan made the most of his time by trying to master his new powers. His mother had been too preoccupied with caring for Goku to bother him too much about it, even though she did faint after seeing him transformed. A few days had passed since the group last split up in Ginger town. Piccolo and Tien had several close calls in almost tracking down Cell, but he managed to evade them at every turn. Every time they would arrive in the town or city he was attacking, he'd pull the vanishing act he used in Ginger town. Gohan suddenly paused in his workout when he sensed something behind him. The young warrior turned and threw a punch on instinct only to be met with the form of his father leaning backwards and dodging the blow.

"Man, that would have knocked me out for longer than that heart virus!" exclaimed Goku.

"Dad?" stated the young Super Saiyan in confusion before quickly realizing the significance of his father standing there. "Dad you're alright!"

The father and son embraced one another before Goku took a step back to get a better look at his Super Saiyan son, "Yeah I feel much better now son. Thanks for holding the down fort while I was sick. I almost can't believe it! You're a Super Saiyan too! I knew you were strong, but this is off the charts!"

Gohan clenched his fists in frustration, "I may be a Super Saiyan, but it still wasn't enough. The strength of these new androids is hard to comprehend."

Goku scratched his chin as he replied, "I know I could see what was going on through my dreams. Even as strong as you are these new Androids didn't seem phased by it."

"They're not the only problem." stated Piccolo making his presence known.

Goku stared at the Namekian warrior in confusion for a few seconds before adopting a smirk, "Is it still mostly Piccolo in there?"

Piccolo grunted in annoyance, "Yeah, I gave that old man as little room as possible."

"I can tell, still your strength is incredible now!" exclaimed Goku.

Piccolo shook his head in disagreement, "It still may not be enough, especially with Cell on the loose. Since we haven't been able to track him down, he may already to strong for us to handle with all those people he's been absorbing."

"We need a new plan. I know Naruto and Trunks have Bulma and Dr. Briefs working on finding a weakness to the Androids, but we need another course of action." stated Gohan.

Goku nodded his head in agreement, "I think you and Vegeta were also right in believing there is another level of Super Saiyan. We may not even have fully developed the Super Saiyan powers we already possess."

"The training to do something like that will take time, time that we don't have." countered Piccolo.

"Maybe not, I have a plan. I'll explain it all after we gather Vegeta, Trunks, and Naruto too. He may not be a Saiyan, but during his training with King Kai he seemed to be able to gain a lot of strength in a short amount of time." said Goku.

Gohan raised another question, "What do we do for the time being? Shouldn't everybody be moved to a different location? After finding out you aren't at home, the Androids will come here next."

"We'll split up. All the fighters should come to the look out and the everyone else should go to Capsule Corp." replied Goku.

"I'm going to stay here, I have a pretty good idea of what you are planning. If the Androids show up here I can stall them." said Piccolo.

"How? Even with your new strength you couldn't fight them all at once." questioned Gohan.

Piccolo shook his head, "Not all at once, but I believe Seventeen can be convinced to fight one-on-one. If I win and destroy him that also prevents Cell from becoming complete."

"Sounds good, if things get too bad Naruto or Dad can pull you out of there." said Gohan.

"That won't be necessary, I've saved up a few things for this fight." responded a smirking Piccolo.

"Good Luck. Let's get going Gohan." said Goku.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

An hour later most of the group had settled at Capsule Corp. Tien and Krillin opted to stay with Piccolo to keep things honest if the Androids showed up on the island. Goku and Gohan had tracked down Trunks and were now searching through the east wing of the complex looking for the real Naruto. They kept running into his clones, but not the real one. The clones were apparently busy and wouldn't dispel themselves to relay the message.

"He's around here somewhere. Haven't seem him since he stormed into this area after that bizarre news report last night..." said Trunks.

_**Flash Back Last Night**_

Naruto walked out of the kitchen with a drink to rejoin Dr. Briefs and Trunks watching the news. He nearly dropped the cup in his hand when he saw the headline Ramen Contamination on the TV screen.

"Funico Incorporated, the world's most popular instant ramen Manufacturer and supplier of the most successful ramen stand chain worldwide, suffered a massive setback today that could put a halt to production of the popular noodle dish for months. Our own Ami Takeshi has the story, Ami?"

The scene shifted to a dark haired woman standing inside of a factory just in front of an assembly line. A man stood off to the right of her as she spoke into the microphone in her hand.

"Thanks Han. I am here on the scene at the main production center of Funico Incorporated where the problem originated. Apparently at 11:17 this morning it was discovered that the one of the ingredients mixers on the assembly line had been injecting cow manure into batches of noodles instead of the usual herbs and spices. They determined that the switch had occurred for over 24 hours without being discovered. It seems there was a switch up by the delivery company that supplies the factory. Here with me is the assembly line inspector, brought in to survey the damage to the system. Sir what are your findings?"

The man standing beside her wore blue overalls and a strap on mask with a red bandanna covering his black hair. On his chest was a sticker that read: Inspector #17. His piercing blue eyes showed glimpses of mirth and as soon as he spoke Naruto recognized him.

_'Seventeen!'_ thought the stunned blond.

"The entire production line is contaminated. Frankly speaking there is crap everywhere. Not only will the recently released products need to be pulled back, there entire production line will need to be replaced and cleansed. Estimation for this place to be up and running again is 6 months at the least. No one is going to be having their _precious ramen_ for quite a while."

The television suddenly exploded and Trunks and Dr. Briefs turned their attention to the fuming blond. "You dare compromise the virtues of Ramen? Well then Seventeen you better be prepared, _**this means war****!**_"

He quickly formed five clones and gave out orders, "Commence Operation **Bear**."

One of the clones was a little stunned by the severity of the retaliation, "Are you sure boss? It seems a little harsh."

The original Naruto exploded with rage, "NOTHING IS TOO HARSH WHEN IT COMES TO DEFENDING THE INTEGRITY OF RAMEN! NOW GET TO WORK!"

"SIR! YES SIR!" replied the clones as the scrambled off in fear.

"After I'm done perhaps we can turn that fool into a **ramen maker**! **Mwahahaha!**" He cackled with insane laughter as he stormed out of the room.

"I think he's lost it..." stammered Trunks.

Dr. Briefs didn't believe so, "No, his heart is on the right place. I can only imagine what I would do if someone compromised the integrity of my cappuccinos..." A dark look crossed his face and he quickly followed after Naruto.

_**Flash Back End**_

Suddenly one of the doors in front of them opened and out stepped a smug looking Naruto.

"You guys can go head and initiate phase three." he called out over his shoulder as the door closed behind him. _'If you thought being a mechanical ho was bad, wait till you see this!'__  
_

"There you are! You know how hard is to find you with your clones running all over the place?" said Trunks in annoyance.

Naruto ignored him, his attention caught by the sight of Goku, "Hey! You're back! We gonna go after the Androids now?"

"Not yet. I have a plan, but we need to go get Vegeta first." replied Goku.

"Where is he anyway?" questioned Gohan.

"I went to check up on him yesterday, he's been standing in the same spot for days just staring up into the sky." answered Trunks.

"Well, let's go get his lazy ass. What makes him think he get's to stand around and do nothing!" declared Naruto.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

Vegeta stood upon the rocks Trunks spoke of, still staring up into the sky lost in his thoughts,_ 'I know what needs to be done, Ascension beyond the level of Super Saiyan, but how? It took everything I had and more to become a Super Saiyan. What will be the cost of obtaining the next next level? The Super Saiyan of legend was destroyed by his own power, could I lose myself in it as well?'_ His inner monologue was interrupted by the arrival of Gohan, Naruto, Goku, and Trunks.

Vegeta growled in annoyance at their arrival, "What do you fools want! I have much more pressing matters to attend to."

"Calm down. My dad's got a plan to help us all try to ascend to the next level." said Gohan.

Vegeta snorted in disgust, "I want nothing to do with the hair brained schemes of your circus clown of a father. I will find a way to ascend and defeat Cell and those Androids on my own."

"Just here him out father." pleaded Trunks.

"I know what your trying to do and there is a way to shorten the time issue. Let's all move up to the lookout first. I will finish explaining there." stated Goku.

"Fine, this better be good." grumbled Vegeta. Seconds later they all reappeared a top lookout startling Mr. Popo who was watering the flowers.

"Sorry, about that Mr. Popo!" apologized Goku.

"It's alright. It's nice to have some company up here, perhaps after this is all over we can find a new guardian." he replied with a smile.

Goku nodded in agreement, "Yeah, maybe we can get a Namekian who can make new set of dragonballs as well."

"Get on with it Kakarot. I don't have all day!" demanded Vegeta.

Goku waved his arms at him in placating manner, "Alright! Alright! There is a room up here at the lookout called the hyperbolic time chamber, you can spend an entire year in there while only a day passes outside. The only restrictions are that two people can enter at a time and you can only spend two days in there for an entire lifetime."

"Why only two people?" asked Trunks.

"There's only enough accommodations inside for two people to stay there for an entire year." supplied Mr. Popo.

"What are the training conditions in this place?" asked Vegeta.

"They can be pretty harsh, the temperatures ranging from freezing cold to burning hot. The gravity also increases the further you go away from the entrance." answered Gokui.

"So we have two years to spend in there?" questioned Naruto.

"No, we will only use one. We should save the extra day for another time when we may need it." declared Goku.

Naruto decided to decline the offer, "Then thanks, but no thanks."

"Why?" asked Gohan.

"I don't need any more training to take it up a notch. Right now I could take it to another level to try and beat Cell, but I will do it as a last resort." replied Naruto

Vegeta snorted in disbelief, "Yeah right, if you were really holding back that kind of power you would have used to wipe out the Androids already. No one but a fool would hold back their power."

Naruto leveled a stiff glare at the Saiyan Prince, "Then I guess I'm the biggest fool around. Especially since I cannot control this power, it could destroy me along with the rest of this planet in the process! The year I spend in there would be useless, it wouldn't make a difference in my control."

Trunks stepped in between them to cut off the argument, "Calm down you guys."

Goku voiced his support for Naruto's decision, "Naruto is right Vegeta. If there is too much of risk involved with him using this power, it's best not to use it at all."

"Whatever. Take me to this room, if anyone is going first it's going to be me." declared the prince.

"That's fine with me. You and Trunks can go first, then Gohan and I will have our turn." stated Goku.

"Right this way please." said Mr. Popo as he lead Vegeta and Trunks to the chamber.

"When you said you could take it up a notch, how much more power are we talking?" Goku asked Naruto.

The blond shrugged in reply, "King Kai said my power fluctuates too wildly to get a good reading, but he claimed it was pretty intense."

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

Piccolo leaned against the outside of the Kame house spreading his senses outward searching for any disturbances. His eyes shot open as the Androids suddenly arrived on the scene landing in front of him. Krillin and Tien rushed outside to join him.

"Is Goku hanging around here?" asked Eighteen.

"Yeah and that blond guy too, I've got just a small bone to pick with him." added Seventeen.

"You'll have to take it up with me and I'm not in the mood so get lost." retorted Piccolo.

"He's telling the truth. Neither fighter is here." stated Sixteen.

"He still probably knows where they are. Just point us in the right direction." ordered Seventeen.

Piccolo pointed his hand off to the right, "Fine that Island over there? You and me."

"Do you really want to do this?" questioned Seventeen giving him a chance to back down.

"I've been looking to blow off some steam, you're just the punching bag I've been looking for." replied the Namek.

"Someone needs to check out the black headed mechanical ho's back here." Master Roshi's voice rang out from inside the house.

Everyone started snickering as Seventeen's eyebrow began to twitch.

"WHAT WAS THAT!" roared the raven haired android.

"I said someone needs to check out the black headed mechanical hose back here! Behind the refrigerator!" he yelled out again.

Eighteen shook her head at her brother's idiocy, "Let's get this over with." The three flew off towards the island Piccolo indicated.

"You guys keep an eye out for more attacks from Cell." commanded Piccolo before following behind the Androids.

The group soon landed with Piccolo facing them down.

"You can have this one, I'll take the next one." stated Eighteen as she sat on a nearby rock.

"Fine with me," Seventeen said while rolling up his sleeves. "This is your last chance, cough up Goku and that idiot's location."

"Fat chance of that happening. Let's do this!" declared Piccolo as he discarded his cape and turban.

"If that's the way you want it, then fine." said Seventeen.

Piccolo eyed his two companions, "Just make sure they stay out of this."

"Don't worry big guy, it's just you and me." replied Seventeen.

"AAAHHHH!" roared Piccolo as he powered up momentarily shocking Seventeen with his output.

"Incredible, his power is far beyond Dr. Gero's calculations. I also sense two powers, he is not alone." said Sixteen.

"There's no way." said Seventeen as he turned to Sixteen. Piccolo capitalized on the opening by striking his face with a hard right hook. He followed up with a kick to the gut and an overhead smash that Seventeen blocked at the last second.

"Your power is surprising, but you're still not good enough to beat me." Seventeen smashed through Piccolo's guard and hammered him with two punches to the chest then he went for a kick that Piccolo recovered to block. The two then engaged in a furious exchange of punches and kicks with both only landing glancing blows.

"He's actually managing to keep up with him." commented Eighteen.

The two fighters had drifted high into the air in their exchange with Seventeen suddenly backing off.

"I'm impressed, you're not bad." complimented Seventeen.

"I'm more than that!" roared the Namek as he charged the mechanical warrior. Piccolo's speed surprised Seventeen allowing the Namek to land several of the furious blows he rained down upon him. A vicious kick to the neck sent Seventeen smashing in the ground face first. A smirking Piccolo hovered over him.

"What's the matter? Need some new batteries?" gloated Piccolo.

Seventeen rose to his feet dusting himself off. "Don't get too excited. You still have no chance of winning." stated Seventeen dismissively. The two fighters charged each other once again engaging in their furious combat.

* * *

_**The new and improved Piccolo looks like he has the edge on Seventeen. Can he take down the confident mechanical warrior or will Seventeen's prediction prove to be correct? And with Cell on the loose hunting down the Androids will they even be able to finish the fight? The plot thickens next time on Ninja of the Kais!**_


	10. Staving off Evolution

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything

* * *

**Staving off Evolution  
**

Seventeen and Piccolo continued to trade thunderous blows, shock waves of energy releasing with every hit. Simultaneously both fighters landed hard punches to the face, sending one another flying back at high speeds. Seventeen smashed into the ground while Piccolo crashed into the sea at the edge of the Island. Seventeen recovered quickly and flew above where Piccolo fell into the ocean.

_'This guy was nothing to us a few days ago, where did he get all this power in such a short period of time? I didn't even expect Goku to be this strong._' thought Seventeen as he waited for the Namek to emerge.

_'The usual tactics won't work here. Perhaps I should take a page from his book...'_ thought Piccolo as he plotted out his next move from beneath the surface. His android opponent soon became impatient waiting for him to emerge.

"Fine! If you won't come out on your own, then I'll make you." declared Seventeen. The raven haired Android lifted both his arms towards the water and fired an energy ball from each hand. As the two attacks reached the surface Piccolo suddenly emerged and deflected them back towards Seventeen. The Android dodged both attacks easily, but the distraction provided enough time for Piccolo to get inside his guard and land a few punches. Seventeen quickly recovered and engaged the Namek in hand to hand combat. The duo exchanged blows at a furious pace with neither dealing any serious damage until Seventeen landed a vicious right hook that staggered Piccolo. Piccolo cracked his neck as he regained his bearings before making a beckoning motion towards Seventeen.

"So eager for more? Let's see if you can keep up!" gloated Seventeen as he charged towards Piccolo. As he moved he failed to notice the energy ball that shot forward out of the water from behind him until the last second. As the attack rocketed towards him he continued his charge at Piccolo before super speeding out of the way at the last second forcing the attack to detonate on its creator. As the smoke cleared from the blast Seventeen stared down upon the battered form on Piccolo holding a hand over a bleeding wound on his chest.

"A cheap trick like that won't cut it against me." proclaimed Seventeen.

"Who said that was the trick?" Piccolo's voice rang out from behind him. The Piccolo standing in front of him smirked before phasing out of existence. Seventeen turned to face the real Piccolo hovering behind him with a fully loaded special beam cannon at point blank range.

"Looks like I can keep up! **SPECIAL BEAM CANNON FIRE!**" roared Piccolo.

"No!" screamed Seventeen as the blast made a direct hit triggering a huge explosion.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X

High upon the lookout Gohan sat in meditation monitoring Piccolo's fight alongside his father and Naruto. After pestering him for a while Goku convinced Naruto to undergo the training in the hyperbolic time chamber on the premise of that while he might not reach his full potential, any gains he made could make the difference.

Gohan's eyes suddenly snapped open from his meditation, "You guys feel that!"

"Yeah Piccolo's power took a huge spike." replied Goku.

"Maybe he was able to take down one of the androids." suggested Gohan.

"Let's not get too ahead of ourselves." said Goku

"Yeah, there's no way they go down this easy. When we fought before they toyed with us, we have no idea how deep their power really runs." added Naruto.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X

As the smoke cleared from the explosion it revealed a completely unharmed Seventeen, shocking Piccolo.

"Impossible! There is no way you could have outrun that blast!" yelled Piccolo.

"We Androids have an energy barrier we create that can withstand the strongest energy attacks. I must admit, that was quit the maneuver you pulled off. Even had me scared for a minute." answered Seventeen.

_'Just great, that was supposed to be the finishing move. I used up a huge portion of my energy.' _thought Piccolo as he growled in frustration.

Seventeen sped after Piccolo aiming a kick at his face only to pass through an after image. Piccolo reappeared behind him striking down with an elbow that Seventeen blocked. The android followed his block with a spinning kick only for Piccolo to grab his leg , spin and throw him head first into a cliff. As he stared down the cliff face Piccolo suddenly leaned to the left dodging a punch from Seventeen. He turned and grabbed the outstretched appendage before hammering away at Seventeen with his free arm. His reach gave him a momentary advantage before Seventeen grabbed his arm and delivered a powerful headbutt that staggered both fighters. As the two fighters paused to regroup a cackling laughter rang out that sent a chill down Piccolo's spine. The two fighters and two observers all turned to face the form of Cell standing on the peak of a nearby cliff.

"Well done Piccolo! Thanks to your efforts my perfection is at hand!" declared Cell as he cackled with glee.

"Dammit! I thought I had more time! Merging with these two will make him unstoppable!" roared Piccolo.

"What the hell is that thing?" exclaimed Seventeen.

A glimmer of hope flashed through Piccolo's eyes, _'They don't know!'_

"Ah, after so long it's as if I recognize them even though I've never seen them before! Androids Seventeen and Eighteen, and what's this one more? He bears the red ribbon insignia, must be a older less efficient model." stated Cell. He braced himself before roaring as he powered up to his maximum.

"Such a terrible Power! What a monster, you killed all those innocent people!" yelled Piccolo.

"They should be honored to have become a part of me!" Cell cackled with glee as he completed his power up.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X

At the kame house a short distance away everything shook under the stress on Cell's power.

"What a horrible power! I've never felt anything so evil before." said Master Roshi.

"I can't stand sitting here on the sidelines! We've got to be able to do something!" exclaimed Tien.

"You must have faith in Piccolo right now. Going there will only get you killed." replied Master Roshi

"It's only a matter of time, once Goku and the guys finish their training Cell and those Androids won't stand a chance!" added Krillin

X-X-X-X-X-X-X

"This is getting really bad really quick, Cell's power is much greater than it was before!" exclaimed Gohan.

"All those innocent people..." growled Goku.

Naruto had a different perspective, "If this plays out like I think it should, Piccolo just gained three new allies. I just hope their power can match Cell."

"What do you mean?" asked Gohan.

"The Androids are free spirited, letting themselves get absorbed by Cell is not something they would do." Naruto replied.

"He's right especially since Cell is following Gero's plan and orders. They will fight back." added Goku.

"The only problem is that if he get's one of them, his power may jump too high for the rest to fight back." stated Naruto.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X

"Whoever you are, we were just in the middle of something and you're interrupting. So if you don't mind..." stated Seventeen.

"Oh, where are my manners. Sorry to bother you, but I just have a small matter to take care of. Then I'll be out of your way." replied Cell with a hungry look in his eye as he raised his tail into the air. "Android Seventeen, so amazingly efficient, and Android Eighteen, poetry in motion, we shall all be united as one."

"Seventeen! He came here to destroy you and Eighteen! Get out of here!" shouted Piccolo.

"Yeah right..." Seventeen's reply was cut off as he was forced to dodge a strike of Cell's tail as the creature appeared in front of him. After narrowly dodging another stabbing, Seventeen countered with his own assault of punches and kicks that Cell easily blocked. Cell then backhanded Seventeen away from him sending the raven haired warrior skidding along the ground. As Cell marched towards his downed prey Piccolo intervened with a heavy punch that sent Cell flying.

"You're not going to be absorbing any androids on my watch." declared Piccolo.

"Absorb?" questioned Eighteen.

"This creature's name is Cell, another creation of Dr. Gero. He seeks to absorb the two of you into his being to complete his evolution." stated Piccolo.

Cell rose to his feet shaking off Piccolo's attack as if it was nothing, "Join me brother and sister and we can realize the great doctor's dream of the perfect warrior! We three are merely pieces to the puzzle, together we'll be invincible!"

Eighteen waved him away dismissively, "No thanks."

Seventeen landed next Piccolo frowning at Cell, "Looks like that old fool just didn't know when to quit. One upgrade is all I need, this is who I am."

"You don't have a choice in the matter." replied Cell.

"Let's see if you can back that up." retorted Seventeen.

Sixteen had other thoughts, "Seventeen! I would not recommend doing battle against this creature. The risk is far too high. Escape is the best option for both of you. I will stay with Piccolo to buy you some time."

Seventeen snorted in disgust, "I'm through letting that old fool push me around. I'm ending his last chance at controlling us once and for all!"

Seventeen charged at Cell missing with both a punch and kick that Cell dodged smoothly. Cell brought his elbow down into Seventeen's back sending him to the ground. Piccolo attempted a kick from Cell's blind spot only to be blocked. He followed with a combination of punches and kicks only to be stonewalled by Cell at every turn. A sharp kick from Cell's left leg sent the Namek skidding along the ground.

"You should have minded your own business Piccolo." stated Cell as he marched towards the downed Namek. Just as Cell reached him Piccolo suddenly rolled over and jumped backwards away from Cell creating some distance between the two.

_'This is it, I've got to stop him here! You can do this!' _Piccolo thought to himself.

He brought his palms together in front of his chest powering up as he breathed heavily. A white aura sprung up around him and he grunted while powering up his attack. Cell continued to march forward towards him with no hesitation. As Seventeen staggered to his feet he sensed Piccolo's power spiking. He took off out of the area to dodge the incoming attack.

"You're done Cell!" yelled Piccolo as he unleashed the massive blast of energy. **"Makousen...HAAA!"**

The light grenade attack made a direct hit, triggering a huge explosion that destroyed half the island.

"Wow, I think Piccolo did it." stated Eighteen in slight awe.

"What a bizarre creature that thing was." added Seventeen.

As the smoke cleared Eighteen marveled at the destruction causing by Piccolo's blast, "Brilliant! What an attack!"

Sixteen interrupted their brief astonishment, "Don't be fooled."

Eighteen looked at him confused, "Huh?"

"It's not over, he's not dead." replied Sixteen.

Seventeen noticed the look of horror on Piccolo's face.

"What is it? What's the matter Piccolo?" he asked.

"It's him! Cell!" roared Piccolo with a hint of fear.

Seventeen stared at the water in shock as Cell slowly emerged from the sea before hovering and landing on the ground in front of Piccolo.

"Well Piccolo? Are you through playing games?" mocked Cell.

Piccolo gritted his teeth, "RUN SEVENTEEN NOW!"

Almost faster than anyone could see Cell landed a powerful punch on Piccolo's jaw downing the Namek.

"All to easy Piccolo," stated the chuckling Cell as he picked up the Namek by the throat. "I could absorb you Piccolo, but I have what I need of your being in my cell structure already. You are of no value to me anymore, simply...refuse. _**Goodbye.**_"

Cell lifted his arm and fired a blast right through Piccolo's gut. Piccolo screamed in pain before his body collapsed in Cell's arms. Cell turned and through the Namek into the Ocean.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X

"No it can't be!" exclaimed Gohan in disbelief.

"Dammit!" yelled Naruto as he punched the ground.

"Piccolo..No guys we've lost him!" stammered Goku.

"Kami...not again..." uttered Mr. Popo with tears in his eyes.

Gohan trembled with anger and powered up to Super Saiyan. "I can't wait around anymore!" he yelled as he charged out of the lookout.

"No Gohan wait!" yelled Goku as he grabbed him from behind. Gohan shrugged him off.

"If you won't do anything, I will! Piccolo wouldn't sit by and watch us die!" The young Saiyan flew off towards the side of the lookout only to be blocked by his father, also in Super Saiyan form.

"No! Gohan we must stick with the plan! If you go now Piccolo's sacrifice will be for nothing! I know it hurts son, but we have to play to win." pleaded Goku.

"You guys may not be able to do anything, but I can." declared Naruto. The blond gave the father son duo a look of resolution before suddenly vanishing from the lookout.

That look startled both Saiyans for a moment. Goku clenched his fists in frustration, "Dammit! After finally convincing him to go through with the training, he just runs off like that. Where did his head go? I just hope he doesn't do anything too risky."

Gohan shook his head, "I don't know dad, with that look he just gave us I think that's exactly what he plans to do."

X-X-X-X-X-X-X

Cell let out a sigh of pleasure as he started moving towards Seventeen, "For some reason destroying Piccolo was especially satisfying, now back to business. Seventeen if you would be so kind."

Seventeen's eyes narrowed as he shifted into a defensive posture.

"Tell me Seventeen, does this feel familiar to you, as if you've been here before?" questioned Cell. "It should, this is your destiny."

"I make my own destiny, same as before that creep got his hands on us. I am no one's tool." proclaimed Seventeen.

The two warriors charged forward at each other at high speeds, Seventeen tried to tackle Cell, but he dodged at the last second and grabbed seventeen by the ankle with his tail and slammed him into the ground. He held him up in the air with his tail again and proceeded to use him as a punching bag.

"I take no pleasure in humiliating you like this. Just submit to me." commanded Cell.

"I submit to no one!" yelled Seventeen as he lurched forward and grabbed Cell's tail before rolling and slamming the creature into the ground freeing himself in the process. Seventeen stood bent over at the waist and panting heavily, the damage cell delivered was taking its toll. He looked up to see Cell looming over him smirking.

"Look at yourself, you can barely stand! You are only delaying the inevitable." said Cell.

"Perhaps we should escape Sixteen." stated Eighteen as she looked upon her brother's losing battle.

"Yes, you and Seventeen should escape. I will stay here. Cell is seeking to unite with you, so you two must flee." suggested Sixteen.

"Stay here? What are you going to do here?" she questioned.

"I will kill Cell. The earth is a nice place and Cell wishes to destroy it. I cannot let that happen." he stated as he marched towards the battle.

"Stop Sixteen! You'll get yourself killed!" she called out.

He continued marching forward not looking back, "Living in fear is not living at all. I enjoyed our time together, I hope this is not the end of it."

Cell now had Seventeen pinned down and his tail hovering over him. He looked down upon him with barely restrained glee.

"I have you now!" he gloated as his tail expanded into a large funnel only to be sent flying courtesy of a fist from Android Sixteen.

"Sixteen! How did you free me?" asked a shocked Seventeen.

"I used one of my hard punches." replied the redheaded Android.

"So, it seems you're no so old fashioned after all. Interesting..." murmured Cell.

"I cannot allow your ambition to be reached. I will stop you here and now." declared Sixteen.

Cell dismissed his proclamation, "You are going to stop me? You must be malfunctioning."

Seventeen thought he fried a circuit, "How could you possibly stop him Sixteen? Can't you sense his power!"

"According to my calculations my power and his are exactly the same." replied Sixteen.

"Me the same as a piece of junk like you?" uttered Cell in disbelief. Sixteen suddenly reappeared in front of Cell launching a vicious assault of punches; Cell managed to block all of them. Cell lashed out with a kick that Sixteen blocked before grabbing his leg and throwing Cell high into the air. Sixteen flew after him and the two warriors briefly engaged in combat before separating. They stared one another down before charging each other and landed powerful punches to their faces simultaneously. As they each staggered backwards Cell lashed out with his tail and stabbed Sixteen in the neck.

"I have you now!" gloated Cell until Sixteen reached up and grabbed his tail. "What! How can this be, I pierced the neural link in your neck!"

"Not in my design!" declared Sixteen as he removed the tail from his neck and swung the creature around several times before slamming him into the ground. He sped down after Cell smashing into the creature's stomach with a vicious elbow. Sixteen leaped up into the air pounded Cell's face with his feet repeatedly creating a huge crater in the ground. Sixteen showed Cell no mercy in his relentless assault landing blow after blow on the monstrous creature. He halted his assault and leaped back to edge of the crater placing his arms under his hands removing them and revealing blasters.

**"Hell Flash!" **The attack lit up the area with it's huge explosion.**  
**

"Well that takes care of him." stated Seventeen shielding himself from debris.

"He wasn't bluffing about being as strong as Cell." added Eighteen.

Sixteen heard them and turned to the duo and yelled, "What are you two doing? You must flee from here at once! That attack was not enough to destroy Cell!"

"You worry to much. It's obvious you are far superior to that thing and with us at your side nothing will stand in our way!" proclaimed Seventeen.

"Really?" a voice rang out from behind him.

"Get out of there Seventeen! He's behind you!" yelled Eighteen.

He turned back in shock to face the green monstrosity that had burrowed from underground to get the drop on him. Seventeen struggling mightily as the tail started to close down over him. Cell suddenly sensed an attack from his blind spot and leaned backwards to dodge a yellow slicing energy disk shaped like a Fūma Shuriken. As he turned to face his new attacker he missed the second energy disk in the shadow of the first which sliced off his tail and prevented Seventeen's absorption. A red flash of light then collided with Cell sending him flying. The red aura surrounding him faded away revealing a transformed Naruto.

"Never thought I'd be saving you of all people." commented a smirking Naruto offhandedly as he stared at the downed form of Cell.

The completely stunned Seventeen just stared at his savior in shock, before shaking his head and adopting a smirk of his own, "If the circumstances were different, I'd bash your skull in."

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

"Naruto is there! Common Krillin let's go help him!" declared Tien.

"You can't go! What about the plan!" demanded Master Roshi.

"The plan will be useless if Cell get's his hands on the Androids. Naruto has the right idea, it's up to us to help buy then some more time." replied Krillin.

"It's the only way to win." added Tien.

"Alright, be careful boys. If it gets too dicey get yourselves out of there!" commanded Master Roshi as they took off towards the battlefield.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

"Then I guess we'll have to take out this mutant freak if we want to continue our little 'game'." replied Naruto.

"Of course I wouldn't have it any other way." responded a grinning Seventeen.

_'Who the hell was that and how did he get the drop on me!'_ thought Cell. He roared as he regenerated his tail with a burst of energy. As he stared down the form of Naruto he sensed his power level as intriguing, but insignificant to him.

"Another pest, now that you've revealed yourself you will be eliminated." stated Cell.

"You're one to be talking about pests, anyone got a giant fly swatter handy?" retorted Naruto.

"Ah, a cheeky one are you?" suddenly Cell vanished from sight and reappeared in front of Naruto lifting thehim off the ground by the throat. "I typically find that those with the loudest bark have the softest bite."

"You know what? Up close you're even uglier." gasped out Naruto as he struggled to break free.

"Let's see whose laughing after I absorb you!" cackled Cell as he pierced Naruto's chest with his stinger, only to be stunned as Naruto vanished in a puff of smoke.

"Fool do you really think I'd let you catch me that easy. I know everything about you, and you know nothing about me." Naruto's voice rang out to the east of Cell. The monster turned to face his new opponent.

"I know, I've been waiting for you to come out of hiding. You're the unknown energy signature I detected in ginger town with Piccolo. How surprising it is for me to come across a fighter of your caliber, who went completely undetected by Dr. Gero! It looks like I'm entitled to a little fun before I complete my evolution." proclaimed Cell.

Cell suddenly doubled over in pain as a fist planted in his gut. The Naruto he was speaking to vanished in a puff of smoke."You really.." started the Naruto that punched him.

"Don't understand..." began another from behind him that kicked Cell high into the air. As he flew up he can face to face with three more Naruto's streaking towards him carrying a gigantic spiraling ball of energy.

"WHO YOU'RE FUCKING WITH!** OMEGA RASENGAN!**" the trio cried out as the attack nailed Cell head on.

"I'm glad he's on our side this time..." uttered Seventeen in awe.

* * *

_**Naruto has finally made his presence known to Cell with a big bang. Does the other world ninja plan to pull out all the stops to take down the monster for good? Or is this merely a stall tactic to buy time for Vegeta and Trunks? The battle continues next time on Ninja of the Kais!**_


	11. The Ninja of the Kais

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything

* * *

**The Ninja of the Kais  
**

As the smoke cleared from the explosion it revealed a bruised an battered Cell with his right arm reduced to a stump. The beast breathed heavily as he looked himself over and realized the damage done to his body. The creature trembled with anger as he roared and regenerated his lost limb and his injuries with a burst of power.

"There's no way you are stronger than me. How could that attack have possibly hurt me!" screamed Cell.

_'As long as I pack it with enough energy the Rasengan can grind through anything. It doesn't matter how strong you are you can't block it.'_ thought a smirking Naruto.

"You think I'm stupid? Why the hell would I give away the secret to my abilities. The only thing that matters is the gap in our strength is not so great that I can't kill you. Not bad for a pest, eh?" retorted the blond. This retort only infuriated Cell even more.

"Lies! All lies! I see what your doing! Trying to distract me away from my goal! Not going to happen! I will have my perfection today and you can't stop me!" ranted Cell.

"You're really stupid. I'm not exactly working alone here." responded Naruto.

A powerful kick from Android Sixteen nailed Cell and sent him flying across the small island; with his focus solely on Naruto he stopped paying attention to the androids.

"Nice of you to join the party." greeted Naruto.

"Is it possible for you to create another one of those attacks powerful enough to destroy him?" asked Sixteen.

"Yeah, but I doubt he will just sit back and let me create one." responded Naruto.

"Then I will by you some time." stated Sixteen.

"I didn't know you had a death wish Sixteen." spoke Cell as he rose to his feet.

"Our fight may have been interrupted momentarily, but I am still fully capable of terminating you Cell." proclaimed the redheaded android.

_'With these two in the way, I may expend too much energy defeating them, enabling Eighteen or Seventeen to defeat me afterward or escape. I need an opening...'_ thought Cell.

"Even without our brother and sister, I am the most powerful being on this planet. Dispatching of an outdated model and some young punk is well within my current capabilities. Too bad you two won't be around to witness my perfection, but take solace in the fact that the spilling of your blood made it all possible." mocked Cell.

Naruto starting tuning out the over sized bug out as soon as he spoke, in favor of making lewd gestures at Eighteen. The Android twins nearly burst out in laughter at the ridiculousness of his antics in the middle of a fight. He suddenly turned to Cell as he finished his speech while still grabbing his crotch, "I'm sorry did you say something?"

"Insolent fool! I'll teach you some respect before you die!" roared Cell as he charged after Naruto.

"Your fight is with me!" declared Sixteen intercepting him with a kick that Cell dodged. The two creations of Dr. Gero entered high speed combat, the thunderous echos and momentary flashes of their battle seen and heard all over the island. At the moment Sixteen engaged Cell, Naruto flew up high into the air and formed two clones. The two assisted him in crating a red Rasengan the nearly the size of his body.

_'I'll keep the Rasenshuriken as a final trump card, stalling for time is the same as a win for me. Let's see how he stands up to this super explosive version.'_ thought Naruto as the attack neared completion.

"I'm not sure how this is possible, but Sixteen is winning!" stated Seventeen as they monitored the fight.

Eighteen was much more skeptical, "This doesn't make any sense. Sixteen threw everything he had at Cell before and it didn't even leave a scratch."

"Maybe he was toying with him before." suggested Seventeen.

"This is Sixteen we're talking about, he's not the type to mess around. Cell must be up to something." responded Eighteen.

Seventeen chuckled and waved his hand at her, dismissing her concerns entirely, "You worry too much, there is no way we lose this fight. He's outnumbered and outgunned."

Right as the words left his mouth Sixteen landed a vicious roundhouse kick to Cell's face sending the creature slamming into base of a cliff causing a rock formation to collapse on top of him. Sixteen hovered over where Cell was buried waiting for him to emerge.

"See, I told you sis. We've got this fool on the ropes." gloated Seventeen.

"You should have run while you had the chance!" rang out Cell's voice from underground. The ground beneath Seventeen suddenly caved in and he fell below the surface; in a last ditch effort Eighteen attempted to grab his arms and pull him back up but it was too late.

"No! You can't do this!" yelled Seventeen. Soon the form of Cell rose above ground, the bulge in his tail already at the base, close in completing the absorption of Seventeen.

"Incredible! It's finally here!" exclaimed the monster as the bulge merged inside of his body. A furious wind picked up as the ground shook under the power unleashed by the initiation of the transformation.

"You Monster!" screamed Eighteen in outrage.

"This is far worse than I ever imagined..." murmured Sixteen as his sensors took in the readings.

"GET OUT OF THE FUCKING WAY!" screamed Naruto as he fired his attack at the transforming Cell.

Sixteen dashed towards Eighteen, grabbed the blond and flew away high into the sky for cover.

"TAKE THIS ASSHOLE! **ATOMIC RASENGAN!**" roared Naruto. As the red ball of energy collided with Cell it suddenly expanded to nearly quadruple its previous diameter.

"Katsu!" whispered Naruto as a massive explosion shook the island.

Naruto shook his head as he survey his handiwork_, 'I really need to stop hanging around with the Doc so much. Atomic? I can do better than that.'_

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

A short ways away the backlash of energy from the explosion nearly knocked Tien and Krillin out of the sky as the duo approached the Island.

"What the hell is he trying to do? Blow up the whole planet?" exclaimed Krillin.

"If Cell get's his hands on those Androids, that will be least of our concerns. Come on!" yelled Tien as they resumed their journey to the battlefield.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

"Where the hell was he hiding all that power? That attack was incredible!" uttered a shocked Eighteen as she and Sixteen surveyed the damage from up in the sky.

A look of utter horror suddenly spread across Sixteen's face, "Impossible! I can still sense Cell's energy! And it's still growing!"

"AHAHAHAHA!" The smoke around the detonation area cleared to reveal a cackling Cell surrounding by a purple dome of energy that shielded him from the attack. Parts of his green body glowed bright white while pulsing with power. The white light soon engulfed his entire body and the power backlash form the transformation knocked everyone back a few feet.

X-X-X-X-X-X

Up on the lookout Goku bang his fist against a wall, "Dammit, he almost had him with that one!"

"I could feel it, that attack it would have done it for sure!" added Gohan.

"This is bad, Cell's power is still growing." stated a worried Goku.

"If this is all happening from absorbing one android, what will happen when he gets the other?" questioned Gohan.

"I don't know son. I just hope Naruto has something else up his sleeve." replied Goku.

X-X-X-X-X-X

High above the island Krillin and Tien arrived witnessing the completion of Cell's transformation. The white light engulfing the Android died down, revealing his new form that was now bulkier and more humanoid in his appearance.

"We're too late! Cell's already gotten one of the Androids!" excalimed a panicking Krillin.

Tien had a more defiant outlook, "It's only one Krillin, we won't let him get to the other."

"A step closer to perfection, it feels so...wonderful." confidently spoke Cell as he literally sparked with power.

_'His power has increased far beyond what I ever could have predicted. There is currently no being who can match him. He cannot obtain Eighteen or it will be the end of us all...' _thought Sixteen._  
_

"Eighteen, if you would be so kind." stated Cell as he faced the female Android and started floating towards her.

"Eighteen run! I will buy you some time!" proclaimed Sixteen as he charged the new Cell and delivered a hard right hook to his face. However, the punch did no damage. To Sixteen it was as if he hit an impenetrable wall. Cell grabbed his outstretched fist with his left before swinging around with a energy charged right nailing Sixteen in the head and sending him skidding back across the island. Eighteen quickly rushed over to her fallen friend, finding him badly damaged.

"You won't be running, you will joining me." declared Cell as he marched towards her.

"You move another muscle and I'll detonate myself! Then you get nothing!" threatened Eighteen as she placed her hand over her chest.

"That won't be necessary, this is my fight now." declared Naruto descending down and landing between them.

"You?" Cell laughed at the ridiculousness of his challenge. "You could barely keep up before, now you are a tiny insect compared to me."

"Who said I was using my true power? You're not the only one who can take it up a notch." countered Naruto.

This intrigued Cell, "Really? Then let's see what you've been hiding. Show me your true power so I can crush it."

"You asked for it, don't start bitching after I put you in the ground." retorted Naruto. A clone appeared on each side of Naruto, the one on the right immediately started preparing for Sage mode while the other and the original tapped into different sources of power.

"Kaoiken!" shouted the original Naruto as his power level spiked and continued rising as he pulled more and more power out of the technique.

"Kaimon: Kai! Kyūmon: Kai! Seimon: Kai! Shōmon: Kai!" roared the other clone as it unleashed a torrent of energy from opening the gates.

"Is this all? You're still not close to my level." stated a confident Cell not even marginally impressed by the power being unleashed.

"We're not done yet!" the trio of clones declared as the third rose to its feet already in sage mode. As the three Naruto's stood together thunder echoed across the sky and lighting struck from the heavens. The waves crashing into the island became more turbulent as nature sensed the magnitude of the impending merge of power. Dark clouds formed overhead and a light rain began to drizzle. As Nartuo completed his power up in the Kaioken a nagging voice in the back of his head warned him not to attempt what he was about to do. He soon recognized this voice as King Kai.

_'Naruto you must stop! When you attempted to combine only two of these power last time it was too unstable! You can't possible do all three!'_ commanded King Kai.

_'Don't worry, last time I didn't try it using the clone method.'_ replied Naruto telepathically before closing his mind off.

"You should have attacked while you had the chance." called out the original as the two clones suddenly dispelled. Cell watched only mildly interested until Naruto suddenly roared while becoming engulfed in a bright flash of green light and his power exploded. The backlash nearly knocked the creature of its feet as he brought up his arm to shield himself.

"Incredible..." stammered Cell in awe.

_'How could I not have sensed this? Holding back this much power should be impossible!' _thought Sixteen as he staggered to his feet wit the aid of Eighteen.

"Where was he hiding all this power? When we fought he did anything like this." exclaimed Eighteen.

Up above Krillen and Tien braced themselves under the onslaught of Naruto's energy. "What the hell is Naruto doing! I think the whole earth is shaking! If he doesn't stop he's going to destroy us all!" yelled Krillin.

"This power! It's so strong and chaotic! I hope he's alright down there!" exclaimed Tien.

X-X-X-X-X-X

Up on the lookout Goku nearly fell over in shock when the explosive wave of power reached his senses.

"Oh man, when he said he was holding back I never expected this. How in the world did he do this?" questioned Goku.

"His power is still going up! No way Cell stand's a chance against him now!" exclaimed Gohan in excitement.

"Let's not get too excited son, the fight hasn't even started yet." replied Goku, _'Not to mention that he said there was a huge risk in using this power. For such an incredible amount of strength I almost afraid to ask what the cost is...'_

After getting shut out by Naruto, King Kai now turned to his other pupil to put a stop to ongoing events.

_'Goku you must stop Naruto! This power he's using can't be controlled it's unstable!'_ interrupted King Kai telepathically.

_'I don't know King Kai. He's doing a pretty good job of it right now.'_ replied Goku.

_'His body won't hold up! He fusing together the kaoiken along with two other techniques that push the body far beyond its limitations. He tried it before using only two of them, but the result was far too unstable. The backlash from the chaotic nature of combining all three powers on top of his normal transformation could destroy the planet!' _advised King Kai._  
_

"It's a little late for that now, we must have faith in him. Right now he's our only hope to prevent Cell from capturing the other Android." stated Goku.

X-X-X-X-X-X

As the flash of light died down it revealed a vastly different Naruto. Red lighting crackled around his body that was now bathed in a green aura that slowly died down. The muscle mass all over his body increased slightly, his skin gained a pink tinge, his nails regressed back to normal length, and his hair became an even darker shade of blond with a few silver streaks. His piercing eyes became the most distinctive feature, a combination of both sage mode and the slitted eye of his demon form leaving a cross shape in his pupil. The rain on the island had picked up and was now accompanied by howling winds. Cell stared upon this new being before him with both amazement and excitement.

_'Incredible! What luck to find a worthy test for my new powers!'_ thought Cell.

_'He's holding his energy back to be dead even right now, but I can sense his power is far beyond that of Cell's...' _thought Sixteen.

"We may have a shot at surviving all this after all..." Eighteen couldn't believe what she was seeing. Where as before he had this exotic animal quality to him, now he appeared to be some sort of God descended down from heaven. Not to mention that his power was overwhelming. In typical Naruto fashion he promptly ruined that image by opening his mouth.

"I know I look completely awesome right now and you probably want to jump my bones, but if you don't pick up Sixteen and haul you'll cute little ass out of here, I'll eat you! And not in the good way!"

She blushed from embarrassment, anger, and little excitement before leveling him with a glare. "Freakin Perv..." she lifted Sixteen over her shoulder, "Let's get out of here big guy."

"That goes for you two morons as well. You'll only get in the way." commanded Naruto, the previously playful tone now gone.

"You heard the man Tien. Let's get out of here!" stammered a nervous Krillin.

"Fine, but let's not go too far away. I don't trust Cell to try and pull something." said Tien as they moved away from the Island leaving the two warriors in a classic stare down.

As the winds continued to howl with the thunder echoing in the background a smirk formed on Naruto's face, "I'm surprised you let them get away."

Cell could barely contain the excitement in his voice as he responded, "Now that you've finally come out of hiding I couldn't pass up this opportunity to test my strength. There is still no way you could possibly be more powerful than me, which means I will deal with Android Eighteen soon enough. My first order of business is proving once and for all who the superior warrior on this planet is."

"Really? It's your funeral. Hah, I've got it. Free shot! Right here! Come on!" challenged Naruto making a beckoning motion.

"Still the fool to the end, eh? You will pay for your insolence!" roared Cell as he charged Naruto and landed a nasty right hook to his face. Cell grinned at landing such a powerful blow only for the smirk to be wiped off his face as he realized his punch barely turned Naruto's head to the side.

"My granny hits harder than you. Here let me show you what a real punch feels like!" Naruto quickly landed a right jab to Cell's gut doubling the over sized insect over in pain. He followed with a left cross that sent the Android plowing into the ground below. After lying still for a few moments Cell rolled over and jumped to his feet. With a mighty roar he charged Naruto unleashing a furious assault of punches and kicks. He quickly became frustrated when Naruto dodged ever blow.

"Fight me you coward!" roared Cell as one of his punches sailed past Naruto's head. A golden aura surrounded Cell as he picked up the intensity of his blows which were now blocked by Naruto at every turn. Soon Cell found every kick and punch he threw mirrored by Naruto, nullifying his attacks. After meeting fist to fist on vicious right handed punches the warriors separated. The infuriated Cell stared into cross-shaped pupils of Naruto before soon calming himself and chuckling as he descended to the ground with Naruto following him.

"I must admit, you're very good with those antics, but those parlor tricks won't cut it anymore." stated a now confident Cell.

Naruto raised an eyebrow at this, "Is that right?"

"You should be honored boy, for you will be the first to see my true power! Too bad it will be the last thing you will ever see." roared Cell as he brought his arms down in front of his body and powered up. Rocks rose into the air as the ground shook violently and Cell's roars echoed around the Island.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X

A few Islands away Krillin and Tien halted in their retreat.

"Looks like Cell is up to his old tricks again." said Krillin.

"Then we stop here. The Androids headed in this direction when they left, if Naruto falls we buy them some more time." replied Tien.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X

_'About time he started taking this seriously...' _thought Naruto as Cell completed his power up. A confident grin formed across Cell's face.

"Ha ha ha! It looks like I've made you speechless. Now do you understand how futile your efforts were from the beginning?" gloated Cell.

"You're the one who doesn't get it. It doesn't matter how much power you have, your strength is nothing. I will destroy you." stated Naruto.

"Fool! I am the greatest in the universe!" yelled Cell as he super sped behind Naruto catching him off guard with a kick to the back. He followed with an elbow to the gut only to pass through an after image. Naruto reappeared behind Cell and grabbed him by the tail, spun and threw him straight up into the air. Naruto reappeared high in the sky above the incoming Cell. He launched himself forward towards Cell while spinning like a high speed drill.

"JET REVERSE LOTUS!" He landed a bone shattering punch that sent Cell rocketing back to ground, burying him at the bottom of a humongous crater.

"True Power, huh? Doesn't seem like much too me." mocked Naruto as he lowered himself towards the ground.

A bruised and beaten Cell emerged from the pit crawling on his hands and knees. As he reached the edge, he attempted to reach his feet only to stumble over again. As he finally reached his feet he looked up to find Naruto staring him down with those same cross-shaped eyes that seemed to bore through him like he was nothing.

"You're a monster! You're not a Saiyan, you're not human, what are you!" demanded Cell.

"You really want to know?" questioned Naruto as he started marching towards Cell picking up speed with a small pocket of wind coating his right fist. Cell starting stumbling backwards in fear as Naruto approached him.

"I am the most feared assassin in the universe: the Ninja of the Kais, Naruto Uzumaki!" roared the blond as he struck with a powerful fist that went right through Cell's chest and out his back. Blood dripped from his hand he removed it from Cell's body.

"Figures an abomination like you wouldn't have a heart." Cell screamed in pain as he coughed up blood before collapsing on to the ground face first.

* * *

_**After a nearly unparalleled run of death and destruction Cell appear to have met his match in Naruto. Is this truly the end of Cell's rein of terror on Earth? Or will the concerns of King Kai come back to haunt Naruto as he continues his valiant battle against Cell? The action continues next time on Ninja of the Kais!**_


	12. The Number One

**Disclaimer: **I ain't seen nothing, I ain't heard nothing, I don't own nothing.

* * *

**The Number One Arrogant Pig-headed Son of a Bitch!  
**

Atop the lookout, those monitoring the battle felt another brief moment of celebration. Shortly after his ascension to his current form, Naruto sensed the faint pulse of Piccolo's energy signature. Normally he wouldn't have felt it, but in his new sage form his sensory abilities were of the charts surpassing normal sage mode by leaps and bounds. He discretely sent a clone out to aid the fallen warrior, who risked it all to stop Cell's evolution. The Namekian had definitely seen better days, but by some miracle he was still alive. Piccolo used a portion of his dwindling energy to heal as much of his wound as possible in order to survive long enough for someone to find him. Cell was none the wiser to Naruto's aide of his recent victim and the clone carefully flew Piccolo to the lookout seeking the sensu beans. Goku, Gohan, and Mr. Popo rejoiced at the sight of the clone carrying Piccolo and Goku quickly fed the fallen warrior a sensu bean after the clone placed Piccolo on the ground and dispelled. After swallowing the bean the Namek's eyes suddenly shot open as the jolt of revitalization hit him. He quickly stood up and cracked his neck before stretching out his arms, working out the various other kinks in his body. After quickly replacing his outfit with a burst of energy, Piccolo extended his senses out to observe the current battle along with his companions. The typically stoic Namek quickly became shocked at how the battle between Naruto and Cell was unfolding. When at first taking survey of the situation Piccolo gathered that Naruto could possibly stall for enough time that Vegeta and Trunks could finish their training and prevent Cell from becoming complete. The concept of Naruto defeating Cell outright never entered his mind...until now.

"Alright!" yelled Goku as he sensed the massive drop in Cell's energy signature. "He's got a shot to finish him off!"

"It's almost to good to be true, the scales have tipped in our favor." added Gohan.

Piccolo scowled in response to their enthusiasm, sure there was a chance for victory now, but it was still far too early to tell. "Don't get too excited, it's not over until Cell's energy signature has completely vanished." gruffly replied Piccolo trying to temper their excitement.

Goku retained his optimism despite Piccolo's worries, "Lighten up Piccolo! I bet Naruto's preparing to finish off Cell as we speak."

Suddenly Piccolo sensed a massive energy signature close to the battle the just seem to explode onto the scene out of nowhere. "What is that power!" roared the Namek.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X

On the battlefield the three clones surrounding Naruto vanished as he put the finishing touches on a Rasenshuriken. His last blow to Cell knocked the Android out of commission momentarily and Naruto took the opportunity to prepare his ultimate Rasengan technique to finish off the Android menace permanently. As the blond warrior hovered high in the sky, the familiar bell-like screech of his original technique echoed throughout the area as the collapsed Cell struggled to regain consciousness.

"The only shame is that you got your disgusting claws on Seventeen before I could put you down for good. Sixteen, Seventeen, and Eighteen aren't really evil, but I can't say the same for you." stated Naruto as he brought his arm back to throw the Rasenshuriken. Just as he started to bring his arm forward he sensed flood of energy overshadowing an attack coming from behind him. Believing it to be a new enemy he turned threw the Rasenshuriken right at the incoming energy blast. It cut right through the attack, nullifying it before making a beeline directly to the new arrival. At the last second Naruto recognized the attacker to be Vegeta, and guided the attack away from the Saiyan prince high into the sky where it dissipated harmlessly. Vegeta hovered in the air staring him down with a cocky grin. He almost looked like an entirely new person in his new Super Saiyan form with the bulky muscles and slightly paler hair.

"What the fuck are you doing? Do you have a death wish?" roared Naruto, irritated by the distraction.

"Dieing from a pathetic attack like that? Not a chance." retorted Vegeta his tone as arrogant as ever. Naruto frowned in response, sensing something off about Vegeta's arrival. He quickly pushed his concerns to the back of his mind and focused back on the task at hand.

"Whatever you were planning on doing, you're too late. Cell is already beaten, I'm taking him down now." stated Naruto turning his back to Vegeta. Another blast from Vegeta forced him to dodge and face the Saiyan prince once again. Vegeta now possessed a look of annoyance on his face.

At first Naruto was slightly irritated by Vegeta's interference, but now he was starting to get pissed off, "What the hell is your problem! If you didn't notice, I'M TRYING TO KILL THIS BASTARD BEFORE HE GETS BACK UP!"

Vegeta snorted in disgust at his response. "That pathetic excuse for a warrior is none of my concern. You're fight is with me now." declared Vegeta.

Naruto couldn't believe the words that just came out of his mouth, "Are you insane?"

"Insane? No, I'm Super Vegeta!" proclaimed the Saiyan prince as he took the opportunity to release the few remaining restraints on his power.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X

Back on the lookout Goku picked up on the energy Piccolo was sensing. "Incredible! Who is that!" he exclaimed.

"I can't believe it! It's Vegeta!" yelled an equally amazed Piccolo. "His power! It's almost unreal!"

Gohan stared at them in confusion, "What are you talking about? Vegeta and Trunks haven't come out yet. Their time should be up right about now."

The Namek disagreed, "That energy is definitely Vegeta's. It's different and far more powerful than before, but it's definitely him."

Goku scratched his chin deep in thought. He agreed with Piccolo that the energy signature was Vegeta's, but this brought up another set questions about his actions. "Piccolo is right, that definitely is Vegeta, but what is he doing? Knowing him I'd figure he'd stay in the time chamber as long as possible. Then he'd march right up to me and gloat about how I now wouldn't be able to surpass him in power."

"Then what did he do? Slip out while we were caught up in monitoring the fight?" questioned Gohan.

Goku shrugged, "He probably didn't want us bothering him about the secrets he discovered in training, that or he rushed off to the battle."

"There is still no way he would have missed out gloating to his rival about his new power...unless he's found a new target..." Piccolo suddenly growled and clenched his fists before roaring in outrage. "That arrogant pig-headed son of bitch! Naruto's power overshadows Cell's right now, Vegeta is going to challenge him in the middle of his fight with Cell!" roared Piccolo.

Goku shook his head waving off Piccolo's proclamation, "Sure Vegeta is a bit of a lose canon, but he's not that crazy."

Gohan sighed in exasperation, "I don't know dad. It wouldn't surprise me if he really hasn't changed at all, still only looking out for himself."

"Not one bit." grumbled Piccolo while nodding in agreement with his pupil. As the trio contemplated what to do in response to Vegeta, Mr. Popo guided Trunks as he emerged from within the Hyperbolic Time Chamber. They all could immediately feel the difference in the young warrior from his training. With his taller frame and rugged yet calm visage, he looked the part of an epic hero ready for war.

"Hey, thanks for letting us go first. What I miss?" questioned the purple haired half Saiyan as he strode towards them. Just as the words left his mouth Bulma arrived on the lookout with his younger counterpart in toe. She quickly exited her jet car before rushing over to the adult version of her son.

"Trunks! Vegeta said you'd be done right about now. Look at you! You've become taller and even more handsome! Oh just look at you hair!" exclaimed Bulma as she fused over the older version of her son.

"Well, it has been a year for me mom." replied Trunks embarrassed at the attention and now contending with his younger self trying to pull his hair out.

"Oh look at your clothes! Lucky for you I brought some of the Saiyan armor replicas I made. Your father already took one so that leaves three." said Bulma.

"Vegeta was at Capsule Corp? How long has he been out?" questioned Gohan, "I figured he'd head straight for the fight."

Bulma gained a sour expression and her voice adapted a tone that promised pure torture lied in the future for the Saiyan prince, "Yeah, that bastard came storming in the house about an hour ago. Nearly wrecked my lab getting to one of the new armors before stuffing his ugly mug with food and taking off again. Jerk didn't even say thank you."

"That makes sense, he'd want a good meal to make sure he's in perfect condition to fight." added Goku causing everyone else to sweat drop and Bulma give him a look that guaranteed a date between his head and a frying pan in the near future.

"He's been out for an hour so that leaves one question: why would Vegeta end his training nearly two weeks early?" Piccolo asked Trunks.

"Well, we didn't need the whole year to figure out the training. It's hard to explain, but you'll see for yourself when you go in. After his power level just about plateaued, he spent a lot of time working on techniques. He finished and left. I stayed to continue raising my power as far as I could." replied Trunks.

"Didn't he tell you anything about what he was doing?" asked his irate mother.

Trunks then adopted a scowl on his face as he did his best impersonation of his father, "I train alone!"

Piccolo snorted while Bulma, Goku, Baby Trunks, and Gohan roared with laughter.

"Enough clowning around! You two need to get started with your training and Trunks needs to head to the battlefield. If Vegeta is going to occupy Naruto, you'll have to track down Cell and eliminate him before he gets to the other android." ordered Piccolo.

"Sounds good to me!" replied Trunks with a look of determination. The trio of Saiyans quickly slipped into their new gear and as Trunks prepared to take off, Goku handed him the remaining few sensu beans.

"Just in case." advised the older Saiyan.

"Thanks Goku. Good Luck!" called out Trunks as he blasted off from the lookout.

"Alright training, here we come!" declared Gohan as he marched inwards towards the chamber only to be halted by the growl of Goku's stomach.

"Hey you got anything to eat Mr. Popo?" asked Goku as everyone sweat-dropped again.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X

On the battlefield the situation was much more serious as Naruto continued to stare at Vegeta like he grew a second head. The onslaught of energy from Vegeta releasing the restraints on his power, didn't register as much as his words and actions.

"I gotta ask the question again, are you insane? I'm about to finish off the biggest threat to the planet, and you want to let him go in some ass backwards attempt to play hero?" questioned an incredulous Naruto.

"Isn't it obvious that weakling can be crushed at any time? Cell's power is pathetic, so I'm taking you on instead." responded Vegeta as if his decision was perfectly logical.

"There's no time for your stupid games. I am killing this asshole now so he can't get his hands on Eighteen and become complete." stated Naruto with a tone of finality.

Vegeta had other ideas, "No, you will fight me here and now. I don't care if Cell absorbs another Android, let the beast lick his wounds. After I'm done with you, he's next. Then I'll destroy whatever is left of those androids to take my rightful place as the most powerful being alive!"

"Don't you get it! If Cell becomes complete, it could mean the end of everything you hold dear! Your friends and family! Think about the sacrifices your son has made to come and give us this opportunity to prevent that horrible future. Don't go and piss it all away." admonished Naruto.

"That foolish boy and stupid women are none of my concern. I am a warrior, the only thing that matters is proving once and for all that I am the greatest fighter in the universe!" retorted Vegeta, as he started to become angered by Naruto questioning his actions.

Naruto expression quickly shifted from disbelief to grim acceptance. "You're no better than Cell..." murmured the frustrated blond, _'I'm still on my own here. I'll need something to get him off me long enough to finish the job on Cell._'

"For him to have come this far in his search for power it's obvious my cell's are those most dominant in him." responded Vegeta as if it was something to be proud of.

Naruto shook his head in disgust, whatever respect he previously had for Vegeta was erased by that statement. Naruto suddenly adopted a carefree expression, scratching his hair with one hand and his back with the other.

"How did you get the jump on me anyway?" questioned Naruto casually. "With your new power I should have sensed your presence much sooner."

"After all the times that fool Cell vanished from our senses I figured it might be a worthwhile ability to have while being transformed." responded Vegeta.

"Genius in fighting, complete moron at everything else in life. Well? What are you waiting for? Do it! Show me whatever little power you gained, so I can get on with my day. I have more pressing business to take care of. " taunted Naruto.

Vegeta trembled with fury at the insults, "Little Power? Fool! The only business you have is being a punching bag for the greatest power in nearly a thousands years!"

Vegeta charged at Naruto determined to show the blond exactly who was dealing with. Vegeta was quickly on him delivering a powerful uppercut to his chin. Vegeta grinned at the success of his initial assault until the body on his fist vanished in a puff of smoke. The look of surprise on his face was almost priceless as the real Naruto emerged from the smoke thrusting a spiraling ball of energy into his chest.

"RASENGAN!" The attack connected and propelled Vegeta down while drilling him into the ground at a sharp angle before exploding and burying him under tons of rubble.

"That should shut him up for a little while. Asshole..." grumbled Naruto before he then turned his attention back to Cell and cursed in frustration as he saw that Cell had regenerated his wounds and was moments away from regaining full consciousness.

"Dammit! I'm almost out of time!" Naruto quickly formed another set of clones to prepare another Rasenshuriken packing in as much power as he possible could.

Deep underground Vegeta seethed with fury. _'The pinnacle of Saiyan Power falling to such a cheap trick! I'm going to pulverize him!'_ roared the mind of the Saiyan prince as he broke free from the earth piled on top of him. Instead of blasting his way out in an explosion show of power, Vegeta discreetly dug through the rubble as to not give away his position. Realizing that the attack was nothing more than a diversion to buy time, Vegeta decided spoil his plan.

"One good surprise deserves another." murmured the Saiyan Prince as his face settled into a smirk noticing that Naruto's attention was completely away from him. He bent to the side while holding the back of his hands parallel to each other with his arms coated in a purple Ki. Right as Naruto completed his attack and his clones dispelled Vegeta launched his Gallick Gun.

_'Yes!'_ thought Vegeta as he released the attack with Naruto still completely unaware. _'And my hunch about not having to do the transformation saving me a lot of energy was right as well. That didn't take anything from my reserves.'_

In his rush to attack before Cell regained his bearings, Naruto lost focus on his surroundings. As the clones dispelled and he moved in to finish of the monstrous Android, his mistake of losing focus proved costly as Vegeta's blast caught him completely off guard slamming into the side of him. He lost control of his Rasenshuriken before being carried across the sky by the purple blast off energy. The beam attack was not strong enough to damage him, but it surprised him so much that he was pushed back a long distance before he was able to move off the beam. As he regained his senses, Naruto immediately noticed that Cell's energy signal had vanished signifying the android escaped to pursue Sixteen and Eighteen. Even with his new senses his chance at killing the beast was gone. His thoughts the quickly turned to Vegeta's idiocy causing Naruto to nearly lose it as his body shook from head to toe in fury. Naruto roared in rage as his green aura flared around him, steam rising off his skin as he rocketed back towards the Island. Vegeta hovered in the air patiently as he waited for him to approach.

"One good trick deserves another, how's the taste of my Gallick Gun fool!" taunted Vegeta. Expecting Naruto to halt and try to talk him down again, Vegeta was unable to block when Naruto never slowed and rammed into his chest head first like a human spear. As Vegeta shot towards the ground at an angle Naruto super sped ahead of him and roundhouse kicked him in the gut straight up into the air. As he flew upwards from the hit Naruto reappeared above Vegeta slamming an elbow straight into his back. Blood squirted from Vegeta's mouth as his body bent back awkwardly around Naruto's bent arm. The ascended sage's aura flared violently as he moved to grab Vegeta's leg before spinning around in a circle rapidly. After throwing the prince out towards the sea, Naruto to proceeded to play pinball with Vegeta's body for a few moments before overhead slamming him down into the ocean. He followed up with a lengthy volley of rapid fire energy blasts the detonated beneath the surface of the water sending huge waves crashing into the island and launched pillars of sea water towards the sky. Even after taking out some of his frustrations, the anger still had not left Naruto.

"You fucking idiot! I had him! The fight was fucking over! Until you came in and destroyed everything!" ranted Naruto to seas below. Soon Vegeta emerged from beneath the waters grinning from ear to ear. He had a few scratches and bruises along with his armor being dinged up a bit, but overall he was undamaged.

"Yes that's the spirit! Give it everything you have! This is the fight I've been waiting for!" cackled the Saiyan prince with glee.

This demeanor only made Naruto even more incensed, his rage fueling and as he unleashed another hand-to-hand assault on Vegeta, keeping the Saiyan on his heels.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X

The things Krillin was sensing from the battle area didn't make any sense to him, "I don't get it? Cell's power suddenly dropped of the map, but now Naruto is battling someone even stronger than Cell."

"We better do something, Naruto's energy is starting to drop." advised a concerned Tien.

"Are you nuts? If Naruto's having trouble we don't stand a chance!" ranted Krillin.

"We may not be able to fight, but least we can do is provide a distraction to help get him out of there if need be..." replied Tien.

"Oh man! Maybe Cell somehow got the other android already, and that's why we don't recognize this new power." suggested Krillin.

"I doesn't fell like Cell at all though. Plus we know for sure that the Androids went in the direction behind us. It's familiar, yet different and completely radical! Not knowing what's going on is driving me crazy! Let's go!" exclaimed as his aura flared around him before he took off towards the fight with Krillin right behind him.

Down below them Cell's head emerged from beneath the sea, grinning from ear to ear.

_'Fools, now I know I'm at least traveling in the right direction. Thank you Vegeta, soon perfection will be mine!'_

X-X-X-X-X-X-X

Vegeta connected with a punch only to find himself destroying a huge rock as Naruto vanished in a puff of smoke. Naruto hammered the Ultra Super Saiyan with a spinning kick to the side of the neck. Vegeta rolled with the blow as Naruto followed it with a right jab, deflecting the punch and hammering Naruto in the gut with a strong right. Naruto shrugged off the blow to deck Vegeta across the face with his left. The two fighters separated with blood dribbling down from their mouths onto their chins. Vegeta wiped his arm across his face to clear away the blood while Naruto did the same.

_'What the fuck is going on here? I should be pounding him into the ground!' _thought Naruto in frustration. While Vegeta was stronger than Cell, Naruto sensed that he was still stronger than Vegeta when the Saiyan first unleashed his full power._  
_

_'It seems this is his limit. While my power is staying strong, his has been slipping. Since his anger has been clouding his senses, he probably hasn't noticed anything was wrong until now_.' thought Vegeta.

"Let's take it up a notch!" declared Vegeta in a confident tone as he charged forward with a right handed hook. Naruto moved to block only for Vegeta to avoid and nail him in the solar plexus. He followed with a spinning kick that nailed Naruto in the chin. Naruto tried to role into a spinning kick of his own but missed as Vegeta dodged. The Saiyan prince moved in and nailed Naruto in the face with a right cross before flipping upside down and and vertically kicking down on his right shoulder. Vegeta then reappeared in front of Naruto punching him in the chin before blasting him with two large energy blasts from each hand. The attacks knocked Naruto backwards before exploding; Vegeta hovered in the air with his arms crossed in front of his chest eagerly awaiting the results of his handiwork. As the smoke cleared it was evident that the blast had done some damage. Physically Naruto looked like he'd been rough up pretty good, and his energy level dropped significantly.

"Having a hard time keeping up? Too bad, because I don't intend to keep taking it so easy on you." mocked Vegeta.

_'Dammit, my lack of control in this form is costing me. I expended a lot of power on Cell, and on those two wasted Rasenshurikens. No matter, I'll just have to dig a little deeper and push through! He's not reliable enough to do what needs to be done!' _thought Naruto as reached deep down into his reserves for a spark of energy before reengaging Vegeta at close range. The blond sage landed a punch before back flipping into a double kick to Vegeta's chest. Naruto continued his assualt landing various blows, however, the short burst of energy soon wore out. Vegeta regained control of the fight, landing blow after blow of his own and blocking or dodging those of Naruto's easily. Realizing he was running out of his own power he decided to outsource. He disengaged and crouched into a stance as if to power up, but instead of the usual flaring aura signifying a power up a strange glow emitted from beneath his head band.

_'What is he up to and what is under there...'_ pondered an intrigued Vegeta.

**"Fists of the Mortal Flame!" **announced Naruto as his fists became engulfed in a red fire. He immediately resumed his assault on Vegeta who was momentarily surprised by the increase in speed and power of Naruto's hand to hand combat skills. This enabled him to get in a few hits before Vegeta adjusted. The usefulness of the technique proved to be as short lived as his previous burst of power since his own energy output continued to drop. As he sensed Vegeta regaining control of the battle, Naruto tried to pull more power out of the flame technique, which served dire consequences as his body became paralyzed momentarily as he was struck with excruciating pain from head to toe. Vegeta capitalized on his misfortune by landing a power axe kick that sent him crashing straight down into the ground.

"You'll receive no mercy from me." declared a frowning Vegeta. He realized the problem the moment Naruto froze up in the middle of the fight, Naruto's body could no longer sustain the strain of his power. It's the reason why his energy started dropping in the first place.

"No!" moaned Naruto as he realized he was losing control of the transformation while staggered to his feet. He tried to summon more power again, but the same paralyzing pain returned full force and caused him to collapse. His body and features quickly regressed back to his normal form, while the blond remained down on the ground barely conscious as he continued to suffer from excruciating pain.

"You should know your place now. After I'm through with Cell and the Androids, Kakarott will get his as well. Thanks for the warm up, but like all good things this must come to and end." His diatribe was interrupted by the arrival of Tien and Krillin, the duo immediately rushed over to the fallen Naruto.

"He's still alive." stated Tien as he checked him over.

"Vegeta! What have you done!" roared Krillin in a accusing tone.

"Fools, this is merely my first step to glory. I don't have time to play games with you. There's an overgrown Android to find!" proclaimed Vegeta as he took off across the sky.

"After all this time, he's still the same bastard. Taking out one of his own men..." grumbled Krillin.

Tien remained focused on the task at hand, "We don't have time to worry about him. We'll have to proceed as if he's the enemy. You take Naruto to get fixed up, I'll go back to see what I can help with. If Vegeta is out of the time chamber that means Trunks is as well. Hopefully he's nearby to help take care of business since we can't count on Vegeta."

* * *

_**Whoa! Man it looks like Vegeta is on the warpath and friend or foe he's not taking no for an answer. Thanks to some unexpected assistance Cell has survived for another day as well. Can the remaining Z fighters find a way to achieve victory with a member gone rouge? Or is Cell's perfect evolution only a matter of time? And with the battle lines drawn will this lead to an eventual confrontation between father and son for Trunks and Vegeta? You simply don't want to miss the next action packed edition of Ninja of the Kais!**_


	13. Sh1t hits the Fan

**Disclaimer: **I don't own anything

* * *

**Shit Hits the Fan  
**

Within the hyperbolic time chamber Gohan progressed through a fierce physical workout, while Goku calmly meditated a short distance away.

"Gohan, I need your help for second." called out Goku, causing his son to pause in his workout.

"What's up dad?" asked Gohan.

"I want to test out something new. Just watch me power up." replied Goku.

"Alright let's see it." stated a curious Gohan.

Goku braced himself and started powering up. His energy output was tremendous nearly knocking Gohan backwards, as his muscles bulged and expanded beyond their normal size. His flowing golden hair paled in color and became slightly more rigid.

"This is the first level, but I can take it even further..." Goku roared as he powered up even more and his aura flared outward as his muscles expanded to ridiculous proportions. "So what do you think?"

"The more you power up the bulkier your muscles get. At your full power it's going to be really hard to move." stated Gohan.

"It's just as I thought. We'll be better off training and gaining more power as normal Super Saiyans, than relying on these forms." Goku released the transformation reverting to his base form. "Not to mention the powering up uses up a lot of energy."

"So, the key to beating Cell may not lie in a new form, but mastering the one we already have." asserted Gohan.

"That's right. I want us to get to the point where being a Super Saiyan is completely natural. We'll start by trying to maintain the transformation for a full day and work from there." stated Goku.

"Got it." replied Gohan.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X

"What the hell happened here?" questioned Trunks as he hovered high in the sky. He'd felt the clash between Naruto and his father, but seeing the destruction wrought by the two fighters was something else. He quickly snapped out of his shock and reached for a sensu bean as he eyed Krillin hovering over Naruto's downed form.

"Trunks! Man I am glad to see you!" exclaimed Krillin.

"Krillin! Catch!" yelled Trunks as he tossed the sensu bean before flying down to them.

Krillin caught the bean and quickly fed it Naruto. The blond chewed it slowly before swallowing. Seconds later his eyes shot open and he jumped to his feet as the burst of revitalization hit him full force.

"Man, that was almost as bad as the time Ero-sennin chucked me into the hot springs." grumbled Naruto as he checked himself over before finding his headband had slipped off. He grabbed and an quickly slipped it back on.

"That's weird, you still have that huge cut on your forehead even after using the sensu bean." observed Krillin.

Naruto dismissed his concern quickly as he retied his orange headband, "Don't worry about it, it's not open. It's an old scar."

"Good to see you're alright. Vegeta really did a number on you!" commented Krillin

"It wasn't Vegeta. That new power I taped into, my body couldn't hold up under the strain. It also burned through my reserve energy way to quickly, I would have been better off fighting with less power and trying to wear him down." replied Naruto as he stretched out his limbs.

"Father probably has become overconfident from defeating you, he'll underestimate Cell and the Androids when he goes to face them." stated a concerned Trunks.

Krillin snorted, "He had that overconfidence problem well before this battle."

"I was a fool, getting caught up in trying to overpower him with physical force. Vegeta's nothing more than a rabid dog. I should have retreated and let him turn his sights on Cell. Still, there needs to be some retribution for not being a team player." said Naruto before turning to Trunks. "Trunks do you have anymore sensu beans?"

"Yeah I've got two more, why?" replied Trunks.

"That fight with me did burn up some of his reserves. He's assuming that Cell is no threat to him regardless, but it shouldn't hurt to have the buffoon at full strength. I'm going to teleport you close to Cell's location. It won't be exact, but it should be close enough that you'll find him. After that I'll have Vegeta to track your power after giving him a bean." Naruto stood perfectly still as he shut his eyes, and a few seconds later when he reopened them, the were in the form of his new sage mode.

"What's up with your eyes?" questioned Trunks.

"I'll tell you about it later...I've got a location, grab on." The duo grabbed onto the blond and the three vanished from the area reappearing in mid air above the water border of three small islands.

"Is this it?" questioned Krillin as he scanned around not seeing anything out of the ordinary.

"I said it wouldn't be exact, but he's lurking around here somewhere." replied Naruto.

"Here," said Trunks as he handed him the sensu bean. Naruto gave them a wave before vanishing.

"He's really something. Even after Vegeta screwed us over, he's putting the task at hand first and still willing to work with the guy." commented Krillin.

_'Yeah, he's almost being too nice...never mind that I've got to focus on Cell!'_ thought Trunks as began his search.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

Naruto vanished and suddenly reappeared in the medical bay of Capsule corp next to the regeneration chambers.

"No where did I leave that scroll..." murmured Naruto as he searched through some of the cabinets. Thanks to a storage seal on his right bicep, a storage scroll had made the journey with Naruto across dimensions. It contents included various odds and ends he picked up over the years that he thought might come in handy somewhere down the line. He'd left it here with Dr. Briefs to see if some of the old poisons and medical concoctions could be reproduced. He found the scroll in the back of a cabinet. He retrieved a kit with several small pouches containing fine powder from the scroll. He grabbed the one he was looking for and emptied it into a capsule corp water bottle before then crushing the sensu bean Trunks gave him and dumping that inside as well. He filled it with water before shaking it up to mix in the contents before vanishing once again.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

Vegeta flew through the air at a slow speed, scanning his surroundings for any trace of Cell or the Androids. His progress halted when Naruto materialized a short distance in front of him.

"Yo ass-face!" yelled a waving Naruto.

"Returned for another beating? Too bad, I don't have time for you." retorted Vegeta.

Naruto flipped him off before chucking the water bottle at him.

"What's this?" questioned Vegeta as he caught it with a raised eyebrow.

"We're out of sensu beans. Bulma's came up with synthetic version you mix with water. I don't want to hear any bullshit about our fight being nothing, you should be at full strength to face Cell. This doesn't change anything between us, my goal right now is the elimination of Cell." stated Naruto in a no-nonsense manner.

"About time that damn woman did something useful." Vegeta grumbled before drinking it down. "At least it tastes better than those insufferable beans."

"It seems before I left Trunks was able to lock in on a faint trace of Cell's energy." Naruto added in a casual manner.

"Then take me too them immediately!" demanded the Saiyan prince.

"Yes suh! Ass-face suh!" saluted Naruto.

"I don't have time for your games clown!" growled Vegeta as Naruto grabbed him by the shoulder and they vanished and reappeared in the middle of nowhere above a random island.

"Well! Where the hell are they!" demanded Vegeta.

"Somewhere on the other side of the planet. If you leave now, you'll make it there in time to see Trunks celebrate his victory! Later!" Naruto blew a raspberry at him before vanishing.

"DAMN YOU! YOU'LL PAY FOR THIS BRAT! I'LL TEACH YOU A LESSON YOU WON'T FORGET!" roared Vegeta as he blasted off across the sky trying to lock on to Trunks energy signature. Moments later Naruto reappeared in the spot he just left.

_'He'll be in for quite the surprise once he reaches the battle and tries to interfere. The best chance to eliminate Cell is for Trunks to fight, since Vegeta can't be trusted. Now time to go see what we're up against.'_ thought Naruto before he vanished again.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

Currently Sixteen and Eighteen were hiding out on one of the islands several miles from where they left Naruto in his battle with Cell.

"The fighting has stopped we should start moving again." stated Sixteen.

"Yeah, but we can't tell who won. Cell could be finished." replied Eighteen.

Sixteen frowned in frustration, "If my scanners were still functioning properly, I'd be able to tell you if he was dead or is using his cloaking technique once again."

Eighteen waived off his concerns, "Someone will make themselves known sooner or later, besides it's not like we have anyplace to go."

_'The second battle after Cell vanished worries me..what is going on out there?'_ though Sixteen as he stared wistfully into the clouds.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X

Cell descended down from the skies, using the Island for cover as he extended his senses.

"How did these fools get onto my trail so quick?" said Cell as he sensed Trunks and Krillin's powers nearby. "I won't be able to hunt down Android Eighteen and deal with these fools at the same time."

He then sensed Tien move into the area, joining Trunks and Krillin with their search._  
_

"Perhaps, I can use them to draw out Eighteen. The Androids must be in this area. As soon as I get my hands on her everything else becomes trivial." said Cell as he flew up into the air and raised his power level.

"Eighteen! I know your out here! Come out or I'll blast you out!" after receiving no response, Cell let loose a volley of energy blasts destroying some nearby islands. "You can't hide forever!"

X-X-X-X-X-X-X

"What the hell is he doing!" exclaimed Eighteen. "If one of those blasts manages to destroy me, he can't absorb me."

"Those blasts are precisely strong enough to destroy everything they hit except you." informed Sixteen.

"Great, now we're stuck. If we try to move now, he'll find us!" stated Eighteen with a hint of frustration in her voice.

_'Still I sense those other fighters nearby as well? Why would Cell alert them to his presence.'_ thought a puzzled Sixteen.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X

The moment Cell raised his power level, Trunks was all over it.

"It's him, let's go." commanded Trunks.

"Hold on! Nothing has changed since he fought Naruto. Why would he leave himself open like this?" questioned Tien.

"You're right. We could be walking into a trap." advised Krillin.

"It he's set a trap, it's for the Androids not for us. I'll take care of Cell and if he baits the Androids into showing up, you two get them as far away as possible." ordered Trunks before the trio blasted across the skies.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X

The reemergence of Cell's energy signature, puzzled Piccolo as his monitored things from the lookout.

"What is Cell doing? Drawing attention to himself right now doesn't make any sense? What is he up too..." pondered Piccolo.

"What's going on down there?" questioned Bulma as she rocked baby Trunks in her arms.

"It seems Vegeta hasn't managed to screw us over entirely. Cell's shown himself and he hasn't obtained the other android." answered Piccolo.

"Who needs Vegeta! My son is going to bash the monster good!" exclaimed Bulma.

"Gwah!" cried baby Trunks in agreement.

"Maybe..." murmured Piccolo. _'But things rarely turn out that easy for us...I fear the worst is yet to come. This battle will more than likely rest on the shoulders of the other father-son duo.'_

X-X-X-X-X-X-X

"Hmmm..." Dr. Briefs took another sip of his cappuccino before taking a look at the computer again. "Fascinating..."

"You know, high definition bangbros would be awesome on that monitor..." said Naruto as he peered over his shoulder at the monitor.

"Yes it would..." the Doc suddenly gained a far off look in his eye before suddenly regaining his sense with a huge blush on his face. "Naruto! Well with the battle I wasn't expecting..."

"Honey! I've got the popcorn!" Mrs. Briefs stuck here head through the door and frowned in disappointment at the sight of Naruto. "Oh Darn. We've got company. I'll start the movie without you in the living room."

"Well, what can I do you for my boy?" asked Dr. Briefs.

"I need you to run some simulations based on Dr. Gero's data." stated Naruto.

"Hmm? What of?" asked Dr. Briefs.

"I want to know what would happen if Cell becomes complete." replied Naruto.

The doc suddenly went pale, "Oh boy...Let's hope it doesn't come to that."

"It's that bad..."

"See for yourself."

X-X-X-X-X-X-X

By the time the trio of Trunks, Krillin, and Tien reached Cell's location, he'd manged to wipe out ever nearby Island except for one.

_'Excellent! This last island must be where they are hiding. Now I just need these fools to do the rest of my work for me!' _thought Cell as he turned to face the incoming party. Trunks arrived first, staring him down as the other gave them some space. Trunks could barely contain his rage as he transformed into a Super Saiyan with a yell._  
_

"Cell your days of terrorizing the earth are over. You've not only ruined the earth in your own time, but are trying to destroy this one as well." Trunks aura flared as his power continued to rise and his muscles bulged while he ascended even further. "I won't let that happen!"

"Foolish boy! I've destroyed you once before and I can do it again!" mocked Cell.

_'Everything I've gone through has pointed to this one moment. All the trials in tribulations I faced in my own time line, it's almost destiny that I face a creature who destroyed another future to save this one. A lot of people have sacrificed so i could make it this far, I won't let them down!'_ Trunks vanished from his position and reappeared in front of Cell , hammering the Android in the face with a strong right hook. He followed with a spinning kick nailing Cell in the chest, before grabbing the hulking android menace by his tail and slamming him into the ground. Cell slowly returned to his feet with a slight increase in his breathing, but otherwise no worse for wear.

"It will take more than that to defeat me young Trunks." stated Cell calmly.

Trunks snorted, "Don't kid yourself, you could barely keep up."

"Is that so?" Cell suddenly vanished and reappeared in front of Trunks aiming a left handed jab, only for his fist to be caught by Trunks at the last second.

_'So he was holding back, good thing I was too!' _thought Trunks as he raised his power even higher._  
_

_'That's it boy, focus only on me!'_ thought Cell as he swung his right fist around, only for it to be caught as well. The two entered a power struggle trying to push one another back, with Trunks starting to push the massive beast back with ease. Cell released from the grapple and tried to sweep kick the Super Saiyan. Trunks leaped over the attack and fired an energy blast that cell rolled out of the way from. The green android back flipped into the air trying to kick Trunks again, only for him to block easily before grabbing the leg and slamming him into the ground once more. The intense hand to hand combat raged onward with the impact of their blows echoing throughout the area. To Trunks delight he remained in full control of the battle, outmaneuvering the android at every turn.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X

"This fight! How is it possible! That kid wasn't anywhere close to my level and now he's picking apart Cell like it's nothing!" exclaimed Eighteen.

"Cell has still yet to reveal his full power." stated Sixteen.

"Even so, I doubt he'd be stronger than this guy. Look at him go!" she replied. With the duos focus completely on the fight, they did not notice the shadow approaching them, until the person sneaking up was right on top of them.

"You're right, that's why I've come for you!" roared the voice of Cell. The Android pair looked up and found the hungry gaze of Cell with his tail striking down to capture Eighteen.

_'Damn him! He's used the multiform technique! With the addition of Seventeen, he could fight at close to full power while still allowing his copy to roam free and search for us!' _thought Sixteen.

"Back off you creep!" screamed Eighteen as she grasped the edges of the tail's funnel over her head, struggling to find an escape.

"I won't let you!" roared Sixteen as he charged and knocked eighteen out of harms way. The sacrificial move saved eighteen, bet Cell's the expanded funnel tail ended of clamping down over Sixteen instead.

"Sixteen! No!" cried out Eighteen as she watched her friend get sucked up.

"You fool!" exclaimed Cell in frustration. While Sixteen was certainly more powerful than eighteen, he had no idea whether absorbing the larger android would complete his evolution or not.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X

"How is this possible! The first jump was somewhat expected, but this is ridiculous!" yelled Naruto as he looked at the results of Cells complete evolution.

"Yes, you see the first evolution has a linear increase in power, but once he becomes complete the increase is exponential. From what you've told me, his current strength levels are even greater than what Dr. Gero anticipated." stated Dr. Briefs.

"We've been going about this all wrong. The minute Cell showed up, we should put the Androids under our protection. At the time Cell becoming complete seemed at worst a minor inconvenience, a stronger opponent but only one battle. The Androids have turned out to really be a nuisance at worst, but Cell..."

"Is possibly a threat to the entire space time continuum." finished Dr. Briefs. "It's not too late is it? Surely you could find the last Android and hide her away until Cell is destroyed."

A grin formed on Naruto's face, "Yes, and Cell's already done most of the work for me." Naruto extended his senses searching for the battle between Cell and Trunks as a reference point, when he found multiple signatures for Cell around the area. "Dammit! I might already be too late!" he yelled before vanishing.

Dr. Briefs sighed before leaning over and pressing the intercom button, "Looks like I'll have to sit this one out dear. The fate of the world could be at stake." He released the button and took a long sip of his cappuccino before returning to computer and starting to type furiously. "If that old fool can build warriors from scratch that are this powerful, there must be something I can do using his work to enhance the fighters we already have..."

X-X-X-X-X-X-X

As Eighteen looked upon the absorption of Sixteen, she became unnerved by the look of barely restrained glee the Cell copy was giving her, "What are you staring at freak! Haven't you done enough already!"

"Don't be so sad Eighteen, you'll soon be joining him." the ominous voice of cell rang out from behind her. She turned to find another Cell looming over her, with his tail expanded. "It always pays to have contingency plan."

Resigning herself to her fate Eighteen shut her eyes,_ 'I've already escaped so many times, this it...'_ However instead of the the squeezing sensation of the the tail clamping down on her, she was hit with a blow that sent her skidding across the ground.

"No! You stupid boy!" yelled the Cell copy as he watched his tail clamp down over Naruto instead of Eighteen. With the tail down to his upper torso, Naruto struggled trying to free himself to no avail. At the last second his right suddenly glowed blue before he grabbed his stomach and his body suddenly went limp. The tail the swallowed him whole, the lump of his entire body progressing into the core of Cell's body at the base of his tail. The Cell absorbing Android Sixteen also reached the same state, and suddenly both bodies glowed white before merging back into one. The Cell battling trunks also glowed white before vanishing from his position and merging into now what was a giant ball of bright white light. A backlash of energy suddenly emitted from the light knocking everyone in the vicinity back several feet. Still in shock, Eighteen could only watch in horror as Cell transformed as she aimlessly drifted back towards the trio of Z fighters unaware of anyone or anything else.

"What the hell is going on! Cell didn't get Eighteen how is he outputting this kind of power!" exclaimed Trunks. He couldn't understand it, one minute he had Cell right in his sights, the next the world seemed to have flipped upside down.

"Oh man! It looks like he got the big guy, and someone else! Somebody appeared out thin air and prevented Eighteen from being sucked in after the big one saved her the first time. The only problem is they got caught themselves! I saw him reappear up above everyone at first, before he vanished and saved her!" yelled Tien.

"Dammit!" cursed Krillin. "That could have been Goku, Gohan, or Naruto! All choices equally bad for Cell getting their power! What's the point of saving her, if he gets just as strong without her!" Trunks noticed Eighteen floating along in their direction.

"Hey! Who the hell did he absorb!" demanded Trunks.

"It was Naruto..." she replied softly, still in shock on everything that was happening.

Suddenly the roars of Cells voice could be heard echoing throughout the clearing, as the color of the energy shifted from white to green.

"Well this lady and gents, this the proverbial shit hitting the fan." declared Krillin as he stared upon the pulsing mass of energy with disbelief.

"We can't even see his body, that green energy is acting like a barrier." stated Tien.

"I say we try to destroy him before he completes his transformation. Between all of us, we should definitely be able to break through that barrier." declared Trunks.

"You will do no such thing!" they all turned to see the arrival of Vegeta on the scene. "This is my battle, the ultimate challenge!"

_'Yeah right, you already look to be out of breath from just flying here.'_ thought Tien.

_'Dammit! Father_...Ignore him! If he gets in our way I'll take him down! Now put everything you got into this!" commanded Trunks as he powered up.

* * *

_**Now that**** Cell...Ah fuck it. More crazy shit happens, next time on Ninja of the Kais!**_

A/N: A lot of you must be going WTF? Naruto get's beaten by Vegeta because of a flawed power up and now he gets absorbed by Cell? Along with Sixteen? How the hell will they get out of this one? Well yeah, that's a lot of insanity, and it's only the beginning...


	14. The Other Side of the Cage

A/N: OMG! A reasonably quick update! With decision I made to go in this direction with the story, the ideas have just been flowing. So on with the show!

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything**

* * *

**The Other Side of the Cage**

Dark clouds over head swirled around as the wind blew violently. Booming thunder crackled in the background as lightning flashed across the sky as if the eternal dragon had been summoned. The oceans waves slammed into rocks, and various whirlpools swirled chaotically, as nature seemingly cried out against the abomination that was Cell evolving. Trunks pushed on determined as he continued to power up to the highest levels of his Ascended Saiyan form.

"Stand down brat! You will not take the cowards way out!" bellowed Vegeta. The Saiyan prince was both proud and annoyed at the fact his son obtained the same levels of strength as him.

_'I know you too well father, you will let me do what needs to be done!'_ thought Trunks as his energy level continued to rise. "Think of it this way father, if Cell can't survive such an attack, he doesn't deserve to fight you!"

"Eh..." grumbled Vegeta in discontent. _'Fine..Cell..Trunks..show me what you've got! So I can crush it with my own hands!'_

"Come on..." murmured Krillin as he channeled his energy into a forming Kamehameha.

_'This might be our last chance. I'll give it everything I have, but most of this hinges on you Trunks!'_ thought Tien as he powered up a Tri-beam attack.

"Could this actually work..." whispered Eighteen as she felt the power emitted by the trio of Z-fighters. Trunks noticed her just standing there, staring at them in awe.

"Are you going to just stand there?" barked Trunks.

"Huh?" she replied.

"Those two sacrificed themselves so you could survive. Are you going to waste it? Or put an end to this nightmare!" he bellowed.

"I've got nothing to lose." she said while falling in line with the trio.

"Not like she'll make much of difference." muttered Vegeta as he looked back towards the transforming Cell.

_'I'll give him one thing, he's one hell of a leader.' _thought Krillin as he felt Eighteen's power flare.

By now Trunks power was skyrocketing as he transformed past his Ascended Saiyan form into an Ultra Super Saiyan. The muscles on his body expanded to ridiculous proportions as his skin gained a light reddish tint. Surges of electricity crackled around his golden aura as he became enveloped in a huge dome of energy.

"This is it! Put everything you have!" Trunks encouraged his comrades.

_'Here...we..go!' _they all thought simultaneously.

**"KAMEHAMEHA!"** screamed Krillin unleashing the blue energy wave.

**"TRI-BEAM! HAAAA!"** roared Tien as he released his blast.

Eighteen merely stared down her target with cold fury as she fired.

**"HAAAA!"** roared Trunks as he unleashed his heat dome attack. The three lesser attacks merged with Trunks giant energy beam on a collision course with the energy barrier containing the transforming Cell. The Z fighters and Eighteen were positioned higher in the sky, so when the attack hit the blast pushed the orb of energy containing cell downwards towards the island below at an angle. Trunks dug into his reserves as he search for that extra burst of energy that could push them over the top. The island ground gave way as the protective sphere containing cell backed into it.

"Come on..." muttered Trunks as he summoned forth one last burst of power that surged through the energy blast triggering a massive explosion at the point of contact with the barrier.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X

At the moment of the explosion Piccolo lost Cell's energy signature, a momentary ray of hope slipped into his normally pessimistic outlook on things.

"Could they have actually done it?" muttered Piccolo.

"What's going on?" asked Bulma.

"They might have done it. I can't sense Cell's energy anywhere." responded Piccolo.

"Yeah! I told you Trunks would do it!" cheered Bulma.

"Gwah!" yelled baby Trunks in agreement. The seemingly premature celebration of mother and son caused Piccolo to squash down any hopeful thoughts. Victory was never as easy as this one appeared to be. Cell being defeated moments after possibly gaining enough power to become complete? They didn't have this kind of luck.

"Calm down! I only said they might have done it! Cell's transformation could also be responsible for this!" yelled an annoyed Piccolo causing baby Trunks to cry.

"Sheesh you don't have to be so mean about it." complained Bulma who rocked Trunks to calm him down.

"There's nothing to be happy about it anyway. We've lost Naruto in the process of whatever just happened, and don't have any dragon balls to wish anyone back." stated Piccolo.

"Well...damn." she muttered, not really knowing what to say.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X

The ruckus explosion vaporized a large chunk of the island. Trunks angled the the blast so the impact of the explosion wouldn't have detrimental effects to the entire planet. With so much debris and smoke blowing around, no one could really tell what happened, it was a matter of wait and see.

"Did we get him?" gasped a heavily breathing Krillin as he used his arm to shield himself.

"There's no way anything could have survived that! Couldn't you feel how much power Trunks anchored that blast with?" exclaimed Tien.

"Yeah you were incredible Trunks!" cheered Krillin.

Trunks, who had regressed to his Ascended Super Saiyan form, ignored the praise as he continued to stare dead ahead into the smoke with serious expression.

"Shut up baldy! There's still something down there!" growled Vegeta as his eyes tried to glean what laid hidden beneath the smoke.

Krillin waved off their concern, "You guys worry to much, there's no way anything could have survived that."

"Fool, Cell's energy signal didn't die." retorted Eighteen coldly.

"Of course it did! I can't sense it anywhere!" yelled Krillin in exasperation.

"She's right Krillin. His energy signal morphed before vanishing. We were too late." stated Trunks.

"You couldn't have burst through that containment field anyway." a new voice rang out from the cloud of smoke lingering below them.

"Cell..." growled Eighteen as she looked upon his new body in disgust. The former beast like Android had become much more human like in his appearance. His form was smaller and very sleek in comparison to his previous bulky form. His face and hands were now pale in color, while he possessed two orange lines down the side of his face with black markings that looked like tiger strips going across them. The previous orange line across his chin was now red in color, while his eyes were pink in color with a slitted pupil.

(A/N: Everything else for Cell is the same as his original perfect form appearance.)

Cell gave a light chuckle at her expression, "Eighteen don't be so sour! I guess it is disappointing for you that I've obtained all the components I needed to become complete from Naruto and Sixteen. It was truly a stroke of luck that their energies resonated so much with one another to enable my body to extract the necessary biological and mechanical aspects necessary for my final evolution. You could have been a part of perfection and lived forever Eighteen, but now you will die by my hand."

"Well aren't you a cocky bastard. Sucking up two weaklings like that couldn't have done that much for you. If you wanted the real goods you should have come after me." mocked Vegeta.

"Ah, good old Vegeta. I suppose you want to be the first to challenge my perfect form?" questioned an eerily calm Cell.

"The first and the last, once I'm done you'll be nothing more than a smear on the bottom of my boots." boasted Vegeta with one of his classic smirks.

"We'll you've certainly come along way. These new powers of your and Trunks intrigue me. How about a father-son tag team?" proposed Cell, drawing the ire of the Saiyan Prince.

"I don't need the brat's assistance. I'll handle you myself." retorted Vegeta, finding the very idea itself repulsing.

"Well then show me Vegeta! Show me the power of the Saiyan Prince!" shouted Cell while making a beckoning motion.

"Gladly!" exclaimed Vegeta in glee only to be held back by Trunks.

"You should stand down father. You can't win." stated Trunks with a serious expression.

"Boy you better watch your mouth, or I'll make you regret it." growled Vegeta, irritated at being interrupted.

Trunks didn't back down, "You can't defeat him. Step aside and let me handle this."

"Foolish boy! I'm the only one that can defeat him. Now that I'm an Ascended Saiyan no one compares to me! Not Cell, not Kakkarot, and certainly not you! " yelled Vegeta.

Trunks shook his head at his fathers foolishness, "You just don't get it do you? Fine go ahead."

"Your foolish boy! You probably think my last fight tired me out! It was nothing! And that blond punk even gave me the woman's new sensu formula on top of it! I'm better than ever!" proclaimed Vegeta.

_'Sensu formula?'_ was the simultaneous thoughts of a confused Krillin and Tien.

_'I figured as much.'_ thought Trunks.

"Know this boy, after I'm done with Cell, you're next. Seems you need some lessons in respect." declared Vegeta before he turned to Cell. "Come on you overgrown insect. Let's get this show on the road."

"By all means, Vegeta. Go right ahead." replied Cell with a beckoning motion. Vegeta charged Cell aiming a kick to his neck that was a direct hit, but Cell was unfazed by the blow. Vegeta grunted before following with a combination of punches all that all landed, but had zero effect on Cell. Frustrated, Vegeta fired off a Ki blast at point blank range that Cell did nothing to block as it exploded right in his face.

"How do you like that." mocked Vegeta with a scowl.

"I really can't comment much on it, considering I didn't even feel it." Cell blew away the smoke and debris surrounding him with a small burst of his energy. He then proceeded to go through some phantom punches and kicks while testing out his new body. "This truly is the perfect body. Is that the best you can do Vegeta?"

Vegeta growled at the insult clenching his fists before he calmed himself. A smirk formed on his face as he began to chuckle, "You better have worked out all the kinks already. Once I tap into my full power, you'll be hard pressed to keep up."

"Is that a fact?" replied Cell offhandedly as he continued to throw punches and kicks.

"Don't come begging for mercy after I've crushed you!" Vegeta crouched and started trying to power up. His aura flared violently as the veins on his neck and forehead bulged as the Ascended Saiyan tried to tap in to his full power, however, he could not seem to grasp a hold of his energies as he found himself becoming weaker.

_'What is the meaning of this! Why can't I tap into my power!' _thought Vegeta in outrage.

"Is this the true power you were speaking of Vegeta?" mocked Cell.

Vegeta ignored him as he struggled to gain control of his power.

"It won't do you any good." stated Trunks. "I remember asking myself why Naruto was being so nice when he volunteered to take you a sensu bean. I gave him a normal sensu bean to take to you, yet you ended up with a 'sensu formula'. Add in the fact that when he left us to go track you down his energy signature vanished to a far off location before relocating next to yours, this 'sensu formula' was probably nothing more than a sensu bean mixed with what ever concoction he came up with to take you out of the fight."

By now Vegeta was seething with barely contained rage, "That imbecile! How dare he!"

"Don't get so bent out of shape Vegeta, turnabout is fair play." mocked Krillin.

"Shut it baldy! I've still got enough power to blast you into the next dimension!" roared Vegeta.

"No worries Dad." Vegeta turned to yell at his son only to find him holding out a sensu bean. "I do have one sensu bean left. I'll split it with you if you play this my way."

_'Damn him!'_ thought Vegeta, angered at being forced into the situation. "Fine, I'll do it! Now hurry up."

Trunks smiled, but instead of splitting it in half like he agreed to, Trunks flipped it into his own mouth and ate it.

"You fool!" Vegeta cried out in shock, he didn't think Trunks had the guts do such a thing.

"Oops. I guess it slipped." deadpanned Trunks. "Looks like I'll be going this one alone."

Before Vegeta could react Trunks appeared in front of him, knocking him unconscious with a chop to the neck. He grabbed the unconscious Saiyan and flew over to Krillin, draping him over the shorter man's shoulder.

"Take my father and get out of here. This is about to get messy, I don't want anyone in my way." stated Trunks.

"You sure about this?" asked Krillin.

Trunks nodded, "Father already proved himself to be a liability. My own desires to prove myself to him, come second to eliminating the threat of Cell. He would have only gotten in my way."

"Fine, we'll head up to look-out." stated Krillin.

"What about her?" asked Tien as he tilted his head towards Eighteen.

"She doesn't pose much of a threat now, but still take her with you to keep an eye on her." answered Trunks.

Tien flew over and told her Trunks wanted them to clear out. Eighteen thought about taking off on her own, but with decided her best bet was hanging around the Z-fighters and seeing if the were able to find away to defeat Cell.

"How perfect is this Trunks! It's almost fate, that the two warriors from the future would do battle to determine the fate of the past!" proclaimed Cell.

Trunks spat at the Android in disgust, "Only in your sick and twisted mind. For you, it all ends here. I've seen the results of Dr. Gero's retched creations when left unchecked. The androids of this time-line are somehow different than mine. I could see it in there eyes, they don't possess the same maddening desire to destroy everything around them, but you are different. You're like a plague upon everything around you. Left uninhibited, you'll destroy everything around you simply for your own amusement, I can see it your eyes. Unlike my companions from this time, I know what destruction those eyes seek to create. All the sacrifices made for me and all the sacrifices I've made, they've all built up to this moment, this battle...this end of you and everything you represent."

"A lovely little, speech." mocked a chuckling Cell while giving Trunks a fake round of applause. "A shame that all you have achieved will soon be rendered nothing by my perfection."

Trunks decided that it was time for action and charged the Android trying to level him with a boot to the face. Cell blocked the attack with his left forearm, as Trunks smoothly followed up with a roundhouse kick and Cell flipped backwards to dodge before following with a vertical kick that Trunks caught with his left hand. Trunks tried to jab Cell with his free hand, only for the smirking Android to catch his attack. The two then released each other and separated.

"You know, there's a new technique I'm just itching to try out." Cell suddenly vanished, before reappearing right in front of Trunks, surprising him with his speed as he thrust a familiar spiraling ball of energy into his chest. **"RASENGAN!"**

X-X-X-X-X-X-X

"Oh man...did I have a drinking contest with the Grand Kai again?" groaned Naruto as he blinked his eyes open. The blond found himself laying flat on his back in a puddle of water staring up into what appeared to be some sort of dark damp chamber.

"Now how the hell did I get here...I took care of Vegeta...visited the doc...went to save Eighteen...saved Eighteen...got absorbed..got absorbed...FUCK!" his shout echoed throughout the vacant area as he sat up.

"Alright, I'm in Cell somehow..." he shivered. "How the fuck am I still alive..." Then he remembered jamming a gogyou fuuin across his stomach to cause a disruption with his old seal and hopefully reactivate it in last ditch attempt to cut Cell off from his full power.

"I can't believe that actually fucking worked." mumbled Naruto. "But what about..." He then stood up, scrambling to his feet as he ran forward until he found himself blocked off by metal door lined with several bars. He then looked to his left to see the giant familiar seal that he used to be on the other side of.

"Well this is different...but sometimes I guess it pays more to be lucky than good. Hmm..." Naruto dropped to the floor in a meditative position. "Let's take some inventory..."

X-X-X-X-X-X-X

While the attack caught Trunks off guard, he responded quick enough to destabilize it with a small blast of Ki. Trunks flared his aura to clear the smoke from the small explosion and reveal himself to be unarmed.

"Yours doesn't seem to pack the same punch." stated Trunks offhandedly.

Cell ignored the taunt, "Come on Trunks! I know you can do better than that. Show it to me! Show me your true potential!"

"Be careful what you wish for Cell. It just might kill you." responded Trunks.

Trunks hunched over while grunting and groaning as his body emitted a series of golden flashes. He suddenly tilted his head back as his golden aura sprung up, flaring violently around his body. Surges of electricity sparked around him as the formerly relaxed parts of his hair poked straight out ripping apart the hair tie previously holding it place. The muscles all over his body convulsed as his voice cried out. The clouds over head circled around as Trunks power continued to grow as he tapped into the full power of his Ascended Super Saiyan form, even causing Cell to marvel at the scene.

"Whoa..." murmured Cell as he stared upon the impressive transformation in awe.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X

At the edge of the lookout Piccolo tried to wrap his mind around the energy Trunks was releasing, _'I thought he was impressive releasing that blast earlier, but this is unbelievable! He is even surpassing the levels Vegeta and Naruto were battling at!'_

X-X-X-X-X-X-X

The party traveling to the lookout paused mid flight as the magnitude of Trunks energy seemed to hit them all at once.

"Ah man this is incredible!" exclaimed Krillin.

"If I hadn't seen him earlier, I wouldn't believe it was possible." stated Tien.

_'How did he get that kind of power? And so fast?' _thought Eighteen.

Krillin shook his head at insanity of it all, "These Saiyans are incredible; they just keep on growing and growing. Every enemy takes them to a new level of power. Now it's Trunks turn."

"Come on, let's go." said Tien as the group resumed their trek to the lookout.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X

"You want me Cell, you got me!" Trunks vanished and reappeared in front of Cell, planting a knee in his gut. He followed with brutal combination of punches and finished with a power kick that sent Cell slamming into a cliff face. The android emerged unscathed, with a maniacal grin on his face.

"That's it! This wonderful power! I can still feel your strength increasing! Bring it all out! I want you to be at full strength when I destroy you!" exclaimed Cell.

"So be it." Trunks landed on the ground, his aura still violently flaring around him as he arched his back screaming out to the skies while he continued to power up. The clouds overhead darkened as lightning flashed across the sky and bio electricity sparked around Trunks. His muscles no longer convulsed, but bulged as they increased in size. Cell continued to look on with a small grin as he witnessed the transformation.

"That's the way Trunks! Show me your great power! It will be a great pleasure to do battle with a Super Saiyan at your level." stated a smirking Cell."Hmmm.." Cell shifted into his own power up stance and summoned his own power as a calm gold aura sprung up around his body. As he did this a strange circular pattern of blue symbols appeared on the center of his black chest plate momentarily before vanishing. Trunks continued his own power up as his muscles increased in size again, while his energy churned up the earth beneath him. Cell chuckled as he shifted into a fighting stance, both warriors paused before charging one another and landing punches simultaneously on each others faces. Cell rolled of the blow into a roundhouse kick that Trunks blocked with his right arm. Trunks delivered a vicious hay-maker with his left that staggered Cell momentarily. Trying to capitalize Trunks moved in for another power punch, only for the blow to be caught by Cell. He swung around with his other fist only for that to be caught by Cell too. Trunks readjusted his fists grasping onto the Cell's hands and deadlocking the two warriors in a power struggling trying to push each other back. Both warriors grunted and yelled as their auras flared violently while they tried to over power each other. Cell suddenly whipped his head forward startling Trunks with a headbutt, but the Ultra Super Saiyan shook of the blow easily, surprising Cell with a head butt of his own. Trunks followed with a powerful combination of punches and kicks that drove cell back before sending him crashing into the ground with a vicious double axe handle. Cell growled in frustration momentarily, before quickly rising to his feet and dusting himself off.

"Not bad Trunks. Not bad at all. But give up, you can't win." taunted Cell.

This only enraged the pumped up Super Saiyan even further as he roared to the skies as he tried to pull even more power out of his transformation.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X

At the start of his meditation Naruto was unable to glean much of anything about his situation, until about half way into it when the seal emitted pulse of energy that washed over him. It was as if a surge of information flooded his brain, "Good it seems the bulk of his absorption was raw physical attributes and power...The seal locking away my consciousness also locked away, my knowledge of more sophisticated techniques...HA! He only got the basic Rasengan and some of my shitty derivations..." Naruto's musings were abruptly interrupted.

"Come on! This better be the way!" a voice shouted as Naruto heard footsteps coming down the path towards the cage.

_'Shit! How did he manage to find this place so soon! I'm not ready yet...'_ thought Naruto as retreated back to the recesses of the cage. He went far enough into the shadows so that he could see the intruder, but the intruder could not see him. To his surprise he found a pair of figures approaching the cage. When he saw who they were, he was so surprised he rushed forward to met them at the gate.

"YOU! HOW DID YOU GET HERE!" were the simultaneous shouts of Sixteen, Seventeen, and Naruto.

* * *

_**It seems an unlikely reunion has taken place within the innards of Cell. Can the trio find away to take Cell apart from the inside? Or will they be nothing more than bad case of indigestion for the perfect fighting machine? Meanwhile, in putting Vegeta on the sidelines, Trunks has placed the burden of eliminating Cell squarely upon his own shoulders. The young Saiyan continues to forge ahead with supreme confidence in his new found powers, however Cell will most assuredly prove to be a tough out. Will the fruits of his intense training prove to be enough to close the curtain on Cell for good? The battle continues, inside and out, next time on Ninja of the Kais!**_


	15. Throwing Down the Gauntlet

**Disclaimer: **I don't own anything

* * *

**Throwing Down the Gauntlet**

Trunks blurred from his position, reappearing in front of Cell throwing a right handed jab that the Android simply leaned back to dodge. Trunks quickly aborted his attack and shifted to land a vertical kick only for Cell to vanish from in front him at the last second. The test-tube warrior reappeared a short distance away chuckling. Trunks pressed on undeterred as he charged Cell trying to level the green creature with a powerful double kick combination, but Cell dodged the initial move easily before performing a spinning kick into Trunks' gut that sent the young Super Saiyan crashing into the ground.

"Face it Trunks, you don't stand a chance against perfection." gloated Cell.

Trunks pounded his fists into the ground in frustration before quickly leaping to his feat and charging Cell. He threw two punches that Cell easily avoided, followed by a roundhouse kick that missed and punch that left his fist embedded in a boulder.

"You're too slow Trunks! You'll have to do better than that." mocked a chuckling Cell.

"Dammit! Why do my punches keep missing!" growled Trunks as he smashed the boulder to dust.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X

The Cell's trio of captives continued to give one another stunned looks, unable to believe the situation they found themselves in. After the shock wore off, Naruto was the first to break the silence.

"Not that I'm not happy to see you guys, but how in the hell are you actually here?" asked the blond. "I know why I've manifested, but I figured you'd both be long gone."

Sixteen moved over the side of the cage inspecting the seal, "I believe our manifestation is also your doing."

Seventeen simply shrugged, "I have no idea what the hell was going on. Until he busted me out it was like I was put into a deep sleep ever since I got caught."

"Perhaps I should start from my own awakening..." began Sixteen.

**_X-X-Flash Back-X-X_**

_(Sixteen's POV)  
_

After getting my body completely absorbed by Cell, there was a momentary flash of excruciating pain before my mind and body shutdown, as if I was back in Dr. Gero's containment chamber. However after sometime, something strange happened, it was if my mind had rebooted but my body was still shutdown. It was complete darkness; I couldn't see or move, I was just frozen. Then suddenly I was enveloped by this warm feeling. The darkness shifted into this green aura, and I could feel myself regaining strength as the power built up inside me, until there was a feeling like a great explosion! I found myself completely reawakened in this strange room my body enveloped by this green aura, pulsing with energy. I looked around and saw that I somehow and freed myself from a containment unit, not unlike the pods in Dr. Gero's lab. The entire room seemed like a portion of his laboratory. I realized this must be some sort of construct of Cell's mind or body, as the pod was clearly labeled for Eighteen and not myself. There were several wires and rods connected to the pod that led outside the room and into a second pod I noticed to be containing Seventeen. When I tried to open it, the door wouldn't budge. However, something in the back of my mind told me to overload the pod with the green energy. I placed my hands over the top and started channeling the energy into the pod, and seconds later the door shattered revealing an awakening Seventeen.

_(Normal POV)_

Seventeen blinked his eyes open rapidly as he came to. "Wha...What happened?" he grumbled while shaking his head. The dark haired android then looked up to see a smiling Sixteen hovering over him.

"Welcome back to the land of the living." greeted Sixteen as he helped his fellow android out of the pod.

"What the hell? Did Gero seal us up again..." rambled the incoherent Android. Suddenly everything became clear to Seventeen as his last moments before being absorbed flashed through his mind. "Shit, that bastard got me! We must be dead then."

"Not quite, I was absorbed too. Somehow we are inside of Cell." corrected Sixteen.

"But how is that possible?" asked a bewildered Seventeen.

"I don't know. I didn't think it was even possible for me to be absorbed since I am entirely mechanical, but somehow we are here thanks to this strange energy." Sixteen brought forth the energy again momentarily allowing it to envelop his body.

"Bizarre..." observed Seventeen, when he noticed Sixteen turn his head with a far off look in his eye. "What is it?" Seventeen asked his larger companion.

"I sense another source of energy, very similar to this one. Perhaps it may lead to some answers..." replied Sixteen.

"Or a way out. Let's track it down." stated Seventeen.

**_X-X-Flash Forward-X-X_**

"We traveled through numerous passageways and tunnels until we managed to find our way down here. Whatever has occurred, you and this seal seem to be the source of it. This is the anomaly in Cell's energy we were searching for in hopes of finding a means of escape." finished Sixteen.

It was quiet for a few moments as Naruto adopted a thinking pose, going over everything Sixteen had said. "Inadvertently Dr. Gero somehow created a natural receptor for Nature chakra. That would explain how you're personality came into being, it's not a programming malfunction, you have an actual soul developed from the small amounts of nature chakra in your system ever since you were created. When I was absorbed, I was still in sage mode. Reactivating my seal must have flushed my nature chakra in Cell, but instead of him turning to stone, you absorbed it and somehow enabled his evolution. But you also brought us all here...Man I've got to stop hanging around the Doc, I'm starting to sound like a nerd."

A grinning Seventeen elbowed Sixteen in the side, "You hear that big guy? Looks like your more than a mere machine after all."

Sixteen didn't react to comment, his attention was focused on the seal.

"Perhaps if we remove..." began Sixteen as he reached towards the seal.

"No don't touch it!" warned Naruto, but it was too late. As soon as Sixteen hand came in contact with the seal, it discharged some energy, sending the Android flying backwards into the wall.

"Ahh..." groaned Sixteen in pain as he looked at his smoking hand.

"What the hell was that?" exclaimed Seventeen as he rushed over to aid his fallen friend.

"The seal can only be removed by Cell, since this is his body. If anyone else tries to touch it will react violently." stated Naruto.

"Then why don't you come out?" asked Sixteen as he stood back up.

"I can't..." a devious grin spread across Naruto's face. "But you can come in!" Seventeen was glad that whatever crazy plan forming in Naruto's head that caused the familiar devious grin to appear, was directed at Cell instead of himself this time.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X

After reaching the lookout Krillin dumped Vegeta with Bulma before reassuring the woman that nothing was wrong with him. Krillin was trying to avoid saying what really happened to him. Piccolo saw no need to sugar coat things, and told the harsh truth of Trunks need to remove Vegeta from the fight. Everyone sat in awkward silence momentarily until baby Trunks made his feelings known by puking onto the chest of his unconscious father. Even with the seriousness of the overall situation everyone, including Piccolo, doubled over in laughter at Vegeta's just deserts.

Despite the lighthearted moment, Eighteen didn't really know what to make of her current situation. Sure she'd been saved from the fate of being consumed by Cell, but what was that truly worth if he's going to end up destroying the planet anyway? The thing that was really bugging her was Naruto. Sixteen saving her she could understand, but the actions of her fellow blond puzzled her. This was at least the second time he saved her, on top when he rescued Seventeen from being absorbed.

_'Why did he do that?'_ she thought to herself. _'Ever since I can remember Seventeen and I have be on our own. Only the two of us watching out for each other. Through our own bad fortune we ended in the hands of that crazy madman. Then finally when we're reawakened this guy just appears from out of nowhere and rips Gero a new one.'_

**_X-X-Flashback-X-X_**

"I can't believe this! I'm your creator you should obey me! I turned you from worthless orphans into powerful beings of eternal life! Street trash that usually amounts to nothing now soldiers of the new red ribbon army. You're ruining all my plans for revenge and world domination..." the ranting doctor stopped at the huge spike in killing intent from one of the Z fighters. Everyone looked back to see Naruto staring down the Doctor with red slitted eyes.

"Your nothing more than Madara and Orochimaru wrapped up into one teme. I would have let them kill you," suddenly Dr. Gero felt a presence standing right beside him, "but as a ex-worthless orphan who made something of himself, I can't allow a bastard like you to take even one more breath!"

The Naruto standing beside him struck with a blow that sent the doctor flying headfirst towards the original who was waiting for him.

"FUTON RASENGAN!" The attack tore right through the doctor from head to toe leaving nothing but dust behind.

**_X-X-Flash Forward-X-X_**

_'Ugh! I don't have time to deal with my emotional baggage. I need to make sure these morons find a way to beat Cell. According to their files, several of them have been brought back by the Dragonballs, that means those three can be brought back as well.' _She then moved over towards Bulma, figuring her fellow female to be the easiest one to strike up a conversation with, '_Finding out some more information about him as well, wouldn't hurt.'  
_

X-X-X-X-X-X-X

Usually the sounds echoing across a battlefield are those of warriors trading thunderous blows. However, for the case of Trunks and Cell the only consistent sound that could be heard was the mocking laughter of Cell. It was starting to get to Trunks as he continued his relentless assaults with nothing to show for his efforts as Cell avoided his attacks at every turn.

"RAAAH!" bellowed Trunks in frustration as he missed a kick, lodging his leg deep into a boulder. Cell laughed at him condescendingly as he blew up the giant rock in frustration. _'What good is all this power if I can't hit my enemy! I've been such a fool...this must be why father stopped before achieving this level of the ascended transformation. He lost too much speed, but I need this power to do battle on an equal level! Dammit!'_

"It would seem that you finally understood how hopeless your situation is Trunks. It's a simple concept really. Anyone can flaunt their power by bulking up their muscles like that, but against an opponent with any sort of speed such a transformation is useless." mocked Cell.

_'I know that! Unless...' _A quick grin formed on Trunks face that quickly vanished, unnoticed by Cell. "I'm not here for lectures. I'm here to fight! Are you too afraid Cell? Content to just runaway from me?"

"Why you..." growled Cell as he trembled with fury.

_'Come on...Take the bait...'_ thought Trunks.

Cell snapped back at him, "You arrogant fool! Fine, I guess I'll have to beat this lesson into that thick skull of yours."

_'Good...'_ thought Trunks.

The green warrior blurred from his position, reappearing in front of Trunks landing blow to the Super Saiyan's solar plexus, quickly followed by a barrage of punches that Trunks was unable to defend himself from. Cell finished off his assault with double axe handle that sent Trunks crashing into the ground, creative a massive crater. Blood spurted out of Trunks' mouth as he gasped in pain from the painful blow, while Cell looked down upon him with his arms crossed and sporting a smirk, satisfied with his work.

"Don't you see it know? You can barely defend yourself!" gloated Cell.

Trunks took a moment to regather himself from the brutal onslaught before easing himself back to his feet; the Super Saiyan had plenty of fight left in him. He leveled his arrogant opponent with a bored look, "Is that all you've got?"

Cell was furious, "How dare you! How dare you make a mockery of me! You are nothing compare to me!"

Trunks just continued to give him a bored stare, even faking a yawn for effect to further enrage the Android.

"You will pay for your insolence ten fold boy! Behold another technique you should be quite familiar with, **Kage Bushin no Justu**!" Cell formed the hand sign for the technique, however, before he could complete the technique he felt a surge of power pulse through his body, producing an entirely different result as he was engulfed in a poof of smoke. Trunks gave his opponent a blank stare until the smoke revealed something that almost instantly knocked the Super Saiyan unconscious. Gone was the form of Cell and in his place was a nude busty green haired girl with pink eyes and outrageous curves. There were a few thin strands of smoke that left some parts of her body to the imagination, but not much.

"What the hell is this!" yelled a confused Cell as he made weird movements while inspecting his body. His movements caused too much bouncing in all the right places, knocking Trunks out cold with a massive nosebleed.

"What is up with this body! And where are my clones?" The Android turned hot chick finally looked down to see the twitching form of Trunks laying on the ground with blood leaking out his nose.

"Somehow this is an effective technique?" blurted a totally befuddled Cell.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X

Seventeen was rolling around the wet floor laughing like crazy, while Naruto was on his knees banging his fists into the ground as he laughed his ass off. Sixteen leaned against the wall for support as his booming laughter echoed throughout the cage.

"That was just...oh my..." mumbled Sixteen between laughs.

"Oh my god! Did you see the look on Cell's face!" gasped out Seventeen as he continued to laugh himself hoarse.

"Did you see the one on Trunks!" yelled Naruto.

"We must find a way to do that again!" bellowed Sixteen.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X

A few minutes later Cell had reverted to his normal formal and Trunks had regained consciousness, the duo silently agreeing to pretend that the previous incident never occurred as they resumed their battle. Cell now attacked Trunks with both ferocity and efficiency as subconsciously he tried to take his frustration from 'the incident' out on Trunks. This time, however, Trunks was proving to be a tough customer. The Super Saiyan wasn't landing any blows on Cell, but the young fighter had adopted a strong defensive style, using his bulk to his advantage in blocking the attacks from Cell. Cell's annoyance started show as less than half of his hits registered as clean blows. After landing a particularly vicious shot to the face that sent Trunks skidding back several feet, Cell looked down on his opponent with an air of superiority. Trunks merely smirked at him as he spit out some blood before settling back into his defensive stance. His indifference to Cell's relentless assaults only infuriated the Android even more.

_'I will wipe that smirk off your face boy!'_ thought a growling Cell as he charged forward intending to plant a punch in Trunks' gut before he could react.

Trunks took the blow and it sent him skidding back to the edge of the island, creating a deep trench along the way. He stopped himself from tumbling into the ocean and righted himself on his feet.

_'It's now or never.'_ thought Trunks.

The Super Saiyan slowly levitated himself off the ground, his breathing slightly increased as he stared down Cell. After levitating himself a decent distance above the ground, he spent few seconds of gathering himself and evening out his breathing. Then with a sudden roar, his energy level sky rocketed as he he brought his hands down to his sides behind his back. He nearly bent his body back at an awkward angle as he charged up his energy with his golden aura flaring violently.

"Oh what's this?" murmured an intrigued Cell as he watched with a critical eye.

Trunks continued to yell as he powered up for his attack, the sea swirling violently behind him and the ground below him quaking as chunks of earth tumbled into the deep depths of the sea below. Lightning flashed across the sky as small rocks kicked up, along with clouds of debris blowing violently around the battlefield. The atmosphere shifted as heavy cloud started to roll in overhead rapidly. As violent winds started to pick a small smile formed on Cell's face as he watched two huge blue orbs of energy form in Trunk's hands.

"Cell! You've taken for granted the true power of an Ascended Saiyan!" declared Trunks.

Cell merely laughed in response as rock formations around the island crumbled under the onslaught of Trunks energy. Bio-electricity started to surge off Trunks body as he neared the completion of his attack.

"If you really want to prove you're perfect, don't move an inch!" challenged Trunks.

"Bring it on." whispered Cell, his face forming a cocky grin as he braced himself.

**"BUSTER CANNON!"** Trunks suddenly combined the two orbs of energy in front of him and unleashed a massive energy wave directly at Cell.

Cell's confident lock soon morphed to one of shock as the blast impacted, "Oh Shit!"

The attack carried on right through Cell skimming along the surface of the earth as Trunks directed its path into outer space, and away from harming the planet. When the energy subsided quickly followed by some of the smoke clearing out, there was a trench grooved into the earth and ocean, the latter quickly filled in by water. Trunks breathed heavily with his arms tiredly draped to his sides as he monitored his handiwork, still waiting for the smoke surrounding Cell's location to clear out. His patience was soon rewarded with a welcomed site.

"Ahh.." muttered a stunned Cell as the smoke around him started to clear.

"Well how do you like that." stated Trunks unable to keep to grin from spreading across his face at the view of a crippled Cell. The left side of the Androids body below the neck had been completely destroyed.

"You actually hit me! Look at this...You made me..." rambled Cell in disbelief as he inspected his body.

"Serves you right." mocked Trunks with a satisfied smirk on his face.

"Wipe the smug look off your face. Or have you forgotten? I still have Piccolo's regenerative cells as a part of me!" proclaimed Cell.

"Even so, Piccolo couldn't recover from that much damage! Half of your body is destroyed." declared Trunks.

"My regenerative capabilities are far superior to his, I bet they even received a boost thanks to my absorption of Naruto as well!" gloated Cell.

Trunks could only watch in horror as with a burst of energy, Cell regained his lost body parts while simultaneously he lost hold of his Super Saiyan powers, reverting back to his normal form.

"Pity, it looks I'm back to full strength, while you're out of gas." stated Cell with a condescending smirk.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X

"What's going on?" questioned Tien. "Trunks power went way up then in dropped back to normal."

"The fight is over." said Piccolo in a no nonsense manner.

"What do you mean?" asked Bulma, her voice laced with concern.

"Trunks has lost to Cell. His attack destroyed a significant part of Cell's body, but it wasn't enough and he regenerated." stated Piccolo.

_'Damn him! Gohan...Goku, it's up to you guys now. You're our last hope.'_ thought Krillin as his eyes drifted towards the hyperbolic time chamber.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X

Deep withing the hyperbolic chamber under intense gravity, father and son battled toe to toe. The two Super Saiyans traded blows at high speed, neither giving an inch to the other. Gohan landed a vicious shot to his father's gut, but Goku pressed on through the pain. He grabbed his son and flung him high up into the air. Both fighters starting charging up energy attacks.

"MASENKOOOO...HAAAA!"

"KAMEHAME...HAAAA!"

The two giant energy blasts collided in between the warriors putting them in a deadlock. Both fighters let their blasts go simultaneously, reengaging in hand to hand combat a short distance away as the explosion triggered in the background.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X

"What to do, what to do..." pondered Cell as he raised his arm towards Trunks. "Quite the predicament you've placed me in. I really expected a more challenging battle from a Super Saiyan. There is one thing of interest to me, how did you become so powerful? Not so long ago you weren't a match for the Androids, yet now you could have easily crushed my semi-perfect form. It's hard to believe that you could develop such skill and power in such a short period of time. Tell me how did you do it?"

Trunks looked at the Android like he was insane, "Do you really I think I'll give up our secrets that easy?"

Cell waved off his belligerence, "I have no need of such techniques myself. I have already obtained perfection. I'm merely curious if you could get stronger if you had more time."

The purple haired half Saiyan raised an eyebrow at this, "What difference does that make?"

Cell shrugged, "Like I said, I'm just curious. By the way, where has Goku been hiding all this time?"

"He's training right now to defeat you along with Gohan." answered Trunks with a defiant gleam in his eye. "If anyone will find a way to defeat you it will be them. They will crush you, no contest."

"No, contest?" the proverbial light bulb went of in Cell's head. "That's it! A tournament!"

"Huh?" responded a completely lost Trunks.

"Consider yourself privileged, I'm giving you a second chance. We'll have a tournament in two weeks time." declared Cell.

"What the hell are you going on about?" retorted Trunks.

Cell laughed at his ignorance, "You really have no clue, do you? Long ago on this planet before we ever existed, there was a competition called the World Martial Arts Tournament. I am going to revive it and prove once and for all that I possess no equal. Each member of your team may challenge me and I will face them in battle one-on-one. After I win, I will face the next challenger on your team. Get it now? Scrounge up as many fighters as you can, the more competitors, the greater your chance for survival. I will decide on the location for the tournament in a few days, so monitor the television for the details."

"Television?" Trunks was still confused by his plan. _'What is he trying to do?'_

"It should be great entertainment!" exclaimed Cell. "Oh and make sure to bring plenty of those sensu beans. I want to have as much fun as possible."

Trunks shook his head in disbelief, "I still don't get what you're trying to do. What's your angle? What is the point of this tournament? Are you just trying to lure us all into one location for some kind of ambush?"

"Always with your doom and gloom! Not everything is the end of the world you know?" retorted Cell. "There is no hidden agenda for this tournament. I can already easily destroy this planet, and I have proven myself to be unstoppable. I want to get as much out of the Earth as possible before I destroy it and move on. I also want to battle on the grandest stage, against the greatest opponents! You must bring me Goku! The tournament will be a guaranteed hit, plus everyone will be watching me! I can hardly wait to witness the looks of panic and fear as I cut down Earth's greatest warriors one by one!"

As the reality of what Cell desired dawned on him, a look of horror formed on Trunks face.

"That's it! That's the look! HaHaHa! This is going to be incredible!" exclaimed Cell as he flew off.

* * *

_**The gauntlet has thrown, and in two weeks the battle for the fate of the Earth begins. Gohan and Goku continue to push their training to the limits, will their powers be difference between victory and annihilation? Or will the internal battle against Sixteen, Seventeen, and Naruto prove to be Cell's downfall? Or is the end of earth merely a formality at this point? Stay tuned as the story continues to unfold, Next time on Ninja of the Kais!**_


	16. Bloody Tuesday

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything

* * *

**Bloody Tuesday**

"What are you idiots standing around for? You need to go help Trunks!" shouted Bulma. After Piccolo's declaration of Trunks' defeat, his mother had been on edge, hoping that her future son would still somehow survive. After everyone had merely stood around for several minutes quietly, the silence had become too much for her.

"Don't worry. Trunks is still alive. He's on his way here." informed Piccolo.

"Then what happened to Cell?" asked Krillin.

"I don't know. After he regenerated, he stayed with Trunks for a few minutes before departing in a random direction." replied a frustrated Piccolo. "I really thought that this was it...Trunks has so much power, yet compared to the complete strength of Cell he is nothing!"

"Calm down Piccolo, I'm sure we will find a way." reassured Krillin.

"What's there to be calm about while that monster still draws breath!" roared Piccolo as he he clenched his fists, lightning crackling around his forearms. "Maybe, it's time that I took a turn in the Hyperbolic time Chamber, to ascend past my own current limitations."

"You forget that Cell has yet to face Goku. If anyone can find a way to beat him, it will be him." declared Tien.

"Even so, Cell originally required Eighteen to be complete. She's here and he got Naruto and the other Android instead, both far stronger than her. Who knows how deep his new found powers truly run..." pondered Piccolo aloud.

"I'm surprised he got caught. You'd figure a crafty guy like that would have one more trick up his sleeve." surmised Krillin.

"Maybe he did..." murmured Piccolo as he thought about it. _'That guy might actually be crazy enough to try and take down Cell from the inside, whether by accident or on purpose. The question is could he actually pull it off...'_

X-X-X-X-X-X

"So he wants a tournament? Seriously?" questioned a baffled Krillin.

"I don't understand. Why is he doing this?" growled Piccolo.

"It's all just a sick game to him, the fate of the world is just a toy for him to play with." grumbled Trunks as he clenched his fist. After arriving on the lookout, Trunks explained to everyone what happened in the aftermath of his battle with Cell. They were all stunned to say the least.

"I thought for sure, you had him beaten. What happened down there?" asked Piccolo.

"The new levels of Super Saiyan come at a cost." answered Trunks. "They drain stamina very quickly and at maximum power my muscles became so big that it became hard to move. The only shot I had was tricking Cell into taking that last attack head on. I didn't think his regeneration abilities where that extensive."

"Serves you right boy. If weren't for you and that other imbecile, I would have beaten Cell already." declared Vegeta as he emerged from the shadows of the lookout. The Saiyan prince had regained consciousness a short time before Trunks arrived a top the lookout. He retreated to the innards of the lookout, listening in the various conversation to get up to speed.

"At least they we're working together with everyone else towards a common goal. Your misfortune is your own doing." defended Tien.

Vegeta laughed, "Ha! Fat lot of good that did them. Trunks was easily disposed of by Cell, and that other fool sacrificed him self to save a useless bucket of bolts. Still in your epic failure, you've managed to do one thing right."

"Really? And what's that? If it weren't for you meddling, Cell might already be dead!" yelled an irate Piccolo.

"You've set the grand stage for me to beat that synthetic bastard at his own game! What greater humiliation than for him to defeated at his own tournament of self glorification." declared Vegeta.

Krillin snorted, "Yeah right. If anyone is going to beat Cell, it's going to be Goku."

Vegeta let out a mocking chuckle, "That clown Kakarot doesn't have what it takes to reach this level of power. I bet that's why he hasn't come out yet, he hasn't figured out how to do it."

"You've never given Goku enough credit. It was him who reached the level of Super Saiyan first after all. I bet his new powers will blow yours out of the water." retorted a defiant Tien.

"You act like I'm going to stop here. As soon as Kakarot and the brat are done, I'm returning to the chamber to continue my training." declared Vegeta witha smirk.

Trunks gained a fierce look of determination as he pumped his fist, "That's a good idea. I'm going back in as well."

"Not with me you aren't." sneered Vegeta.

"Calm down. There are plenty of days left for everyone." stated Piccolo.

"Well Goku and Gohan still have a lot more time left, I'll come back when they're closer to being done." said Trunks as he turned and departed the lookout for Master Roshi's island. Vegeta departed a few seconds later headed back to Capsule Corp.

X-X-X-X-X-X

"Thanks for coming back here with us." said Bulma with Baby Trunks in her arms as she placed him down inside his crib.

"Gwaa..." mumbled baby Trunks in his sleep.

"It's way better than hanging up around there with all those idiots." replied Eighteen leaning against the wall outside the baby's room. "I still don't think I'll be of much help. I don't really know too much about that old man's work. Just a few basic things he informed us of."

"At the least we might be able to remove some of things he added to your body that you might not want. We can give you a full body scan and match it up with the blueprints we've found." said Bulma as she exited the room.

"Blueprints?" questioned Eighteen with a raised eyebrow.

"Well, Naruto pretty much dragged everything from Gero's lab over to ours. We're just looking for anything we can exploit." explained a shrugging Bulma. "Who knows? Maybe we can give you an upgrade, and you'll be the one to kick all their asses! I'd love to rub that in Vegeta's face!"

Eighteen formed a coy smile, "Not a bad idea..."

X-X-X-X-X-X

_'What impeccable timing.'_ thought Cell as he stood outdoors in front of a podium with all the worlds major TV and Radio networks gathered in front of him. In the Android's search for live newscast at a television studio, he discovered something even better: King Furry having a massive press conference for some major announcement. After vaporizing a few cops and an annoying publicist, Cell now had the ears and eyes of the world upon himself and he intended to make the most of it.

"Greetings people of Earth, I am Cell." announced the green monstrosity to the world. "I have a message for each and every being on this planet so listen up! Your pathetic mundane lives are about to become very exciting. I've enjoyed my time terrorizing the Earth so far, but it's time to take things to the next level. If you don't remember me perhaps this will help."

Suddenly Cell's voice changed to imitate that of his imperfect form, "Perhaps you remember my exploits in Ginger town. Those people provided such rich bio-extract to help me evolve into the perfect form you now see."

The reporters and cameramen providing the live feed were stunned. "But that's impossible!" yelled one of the reporters in disbelief.

"I assure you, it is true." stated Cell, his voice back to normal. "I am truly grateful that such pitiful lifeforms were able to become my stepping stones to greatness! Now onto to why I am here, in a little less than two weeks I will be hosting a martial arts tournament. I've named this competition the Cell Games, because quite frankly the competition is all about me."

Cell chuckled at the puzzled looks on all their faces.

"The tournament will be held in Sector Z-428, approximately 150 miles southwest of the site of the World Martial Arts Tournament. I personally have designed a state of the art battle arena, similar to that of the original World Martial Arts tournament. It will be the perfect stage for a perfect warrior such as myself. This will also mark the final day of existence for this planet. If none of Earth's fighters are able to defeat me, I'm going to destroy this planet after I'm done. In fact I'll make sure to eradicate each and everyone one of you miserable creatures personally." proclaimed a grinning Cell.

"This a load of crap!" yelled a guy from the crowd of the people gathered.

Cell caught up in the moment of his speech, wasn't expecting such an outburst, "Huh?"

"I don't buy it! You're just one guy! There's no way you could do that!" the man yelled again, raising questioning murmurs from everyone else around him.

"Really? Well perhaps a little demonstration is in order..." Cell paused for a moment thinking while he scratched his chin. "Yes! That's it! I'll show you I can be more than one man! I've got a infinite army to summon at my whim! Prepare yourselves! **Tajuu Kage Bunshin no Justu!**"

Everyone around the world stared ahead with anticipation, waiting for the plume of smoke from the technique to dissipate and reveal what lie behind. They would not be disappointed for the moment the smoke cleared would be forever remembered in both joy and infamy. Nearly all men and some women around the world instantaneously fainted with massive nosebleeds as one thousand Cells appeared in their nude sexy justu forms. The original looking around confused while the clones started to grope and kiss one another. A massive collective shriek of **"Pervert"** from the remaining awake women caused the technique to dispel, but that damage had already been done.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X

"Pigs..." grumbled Bulma as she looked at the passed out forms of Vegeta and her father, blood sprayed all over the floor.

Eighteen shook her head at the scene, "If I didn't know any better, I'd say those two idiots hijacked Cell's body and were behind this."

X-X-X-X-X-X-X

"These Cell games don't sound so bad after all. Hehehe..." mumbled a semiconscious Master Roshi from the ground. Around him were the unconscious forms of Yamcha, Oolong, Trunks, Krillin, Tien, Chiaotzu, and even Turtle.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X

"I think we just pranked the entire planet." muttered Seventeen in awe.

Naruto dismissed the magnitude of it, "Eh, I've done better."

"The more important thing is Cell is taking the bait." stated Sixteen.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X

_'Something is off. I felt it right as I executed the technique, a flare of power from what seemed like a foreign source. I must investigate this soon. This other transformation technique is somehow still highly effective. What is its secret?' _thought Cell before he felt a huge spike of killing intent and returned his attention to the matter at hand. Now all the women gathered were on the verge of giving the Android a dose of righteous feminine fury, but some instinct told the Android it was time for him to go.

"Well, it seems I've gotten the message out. Have no fear people of Earth! The end is near!" Cell starting cackling with evil laughter as he zoomed off into the skies. With the initial target of their ire gone, the women turned their rage to the men now regaining consciousness and went to town on them.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X

"How long are Gohan and Goku going to stay in there?" complained Trunks as he leaned against a column near the entrance to the hyperbolic time chamber. After the fiasco with Cell's announcement, Trunks returned to Capsule Corp to get some food and rest for a few hours before heading back to the lookout along with Vegeta. Based on what he encountered in his own training, he figured they'd be out by now.

"They will be out shortly, it has almost been a full day." informed Mr. Popo while he watered a few plants.

"I'm positive they will stay in much longer than that." commented Vegeta nonchalantly. "There are training to reach my level after all."

"You're barely even on their radar. They only thing those two are training for is the defeat of Cell." retorted Piccolo. "Besides Vegeta, you've already had a turn. Why don't you take rest while I go in."

Vegeta snorted, "That will be a waste of time. Surely you don't expect to compare to the power of a Saiyan do you? I'll let you have your day, but to hell with that two days nonsense. After you have had your go, the rest of the time is mine."

"You truly are a fool! Fine, I dare you to take all that extra time. See what happens!" sneered Piccolo.

"Stop bluffing." retorted Vegeta.

"I assure you, he is not bluffing. If you remain in the chamber after time expires, the door back to this realm will disappear and you will be trapped inside forever." advised Mr. Popo.

"You have no reason to worry father, you left before I did. You still have a full 24 hours while I've got 23." stated Trunks.

Despite his sons reassurance, Vegeta was still disappointed at the loss of additional training time in the chamber. His musings were cut short as he and the others sensed some movement from the chambers entrance. They all heard the door close followed by the footsteps of an emerging Goku and Gohan. Everyone was slightly shocked at the appearances of the father-son duo in their Super Saiyan forms. Despite their Saiyan battle armor being so torn up and damaged, they were perfectly healthy and despite their Super Saiyan forms they seemed completely normal.

"It certainly seems like Cell has taken things to a new level." observed Goku as he reached out with his senses.

"Not only has he gotten stronger, but his energy signature is radically different from before." stated Gohan as he did the same.

"Yeah, I almost didn't recognize it as him. It certainly seems a lot happened while we were gone, some one want to fill us in?" asked Goku as he turned to the still stunned audience of Tien, Trunks, Piccolo, and Mr. Popo.

"Sure no problem." muttered a still shocked Tien right before the stomachs of Goku and Gohan both let out a resounding growl that shook the entire lookout.

"Hold on a minute with that, we could use something to eat first." sheepishly said Goku as he scratched the back of his head.

"No shit." grunted Piccolo as he shook his head in disgust.

Trunks let out a chuckle as he shook his head too, "Still the same old Goku!"

_'Maybe to you, but there is something definitely different about him and the brat. They obviously figured out the concept of conserving energy from transformations, but there's something else too. I just can't put my finger on it...'_ thought a scowling Vegeta.

Minutes later both Goku and Gohan were wolfing down the gigantic feast laid down for them by Mr. Popo. As usual Goku was consuming food at alarming rate, but the surprising thing was Gohan now matched his father bite for bite.

"Wasn't there a enough food for you guys inside the chamber?" asked Tien in exasperation.

Goku looked up with a mouth full of rice and started to reply, "TWEH GWAZ GROOT MWEE EN -"

Piccolo cut him off, "Goku why don't you try again without your mouth full of food! Disgusting!"

Goku swallowed the mouthful of food and licked his lips before continuing, "I was saying that there was enough food, but Gohan and I don't cook very well. So it's been a while since we've had a good home cooked meal."

"Us not cooking well is an understatement." muttered Gohan.

Goku let out laugh at that, "Yeah one time I asked Gohan to roast some chicken and he blasted it into oblivion!"

"Dad you couldn't even make sandwiches without eating all the ingredients before you got finished. Not to mention the time you burnt water." deadpanned Gohan.

Trunks stared at Goku incredulously, "How..."

Piccolo cut him off with a snort, "Do you even need to ask?"

As Gohan and Goku proceeded to finish their meals, the others filled them in on the current situation.

"A tournament?" muttered Goku as he scratched his chin. "Well I've got to admit, I didn't see that one coming. It does sound interesting though."

"Huh? Interesting?" blurted a stunned Trunks and Piccolo, not expecting this reaction.

Goku turned to caretaker of the lookout, "Mr. Popo, do you still have the clothes I left here before going inside?"

"Sure, I even washed them for you." replied Mr. Popo as we went to retrieve the clothes.

"Hey Piccolo, can you make me a new outfit?" asked the younger Super Saiyan as he approached his friend.

"Sure kid, the usual style?" replied the grinning Namek.

"No something a little different." answered Gohan. "I want the gi to look like my dads but flip the color scheme, and then a cape just like yours."

Piccolo nodded in agreement with choice, "Nice choice kid, it'll make you look real sharp."

He lifted his outstretched hand over Gohan's head and in a flash of light Gohan's new uniform appeared. It was right to Gohan's specifications: blue over-shirt and pants, orange wristbands and undershirt, black boots, and a Piccolo style white cape.

"Thanks Piccolo!" said Gohan as he looked himself over.

"Nice look son!" said a smiling Goku as he finished getting dressed himself.

"Enough of the fashion show," growled Vegeta. "Do you think you can beat Cell now, Kakarot?"

"Who knows? We'll find out at the tournament." replied Goku. "I might have a shot, but from what I can tell right now he would be the favorite."

"You guys still have more time in the chamber." reminded Piccolo.

"I don't think it will do any good for us. Gohan and I don't need another turn. If the rest of you intend to face Cell, you should make use of the chamber." advised Goku.

"Yeah right, how could you possibly have surpassed my levels by that much." retorted Vegeta in disbelief.

"We could have beaten you at your current level after only a few months of training inside." declared Gohan. "Another day won't make enough of a difference for us, at a certain point you plateau with the same training. We should probably save the rest of our time for another emergency."

Goku ruffled his son's hair, "Couldn't have said it better myself. Let's pick up your mother and head home."

X-X-X-X-X-X-X

A full day had passed for Cell since his announcement, the Android stood at the site of his state of the art battle arena, looking over his handiwork proudly. After first making the size to the same specifications of the World Martial Arts tournament, he then decided to double the size on the chance that someone were able to give him a good fight. In this case the bigger ring would allow him the maneuverability to make use of all his techniques.

"If the fight is really good, I could always destroy the ring and make it a fight to the death, but that seems unlikely." he said to himself aloud as he floated over the center of the ring. "Now onto more pressing matters."

The android lowered himself to the ground and settled into a meditative position, "Every time I attempted to use those jutsus, I felt that other power source flair. It seems I must fully unlock this alternative energy in order to master those techniques properly."

Cell focused on his energy and his usual golden aura flared up around himself. After a minutes of trying to bring out the foreign energy, he felt a pulse.

"That's the way..." he whispered as unknown to him his golden aura shifted to one of blue. As Cell felt the energy wash over his entire body, he suddenly opened his eyes and was stunned to find himself not at his battle arena, but in what appeared to be a sewer.

"What the hell..." murmured Cell in disgust as he stood up from his seated position in the murky waters. "I meditate trying to find that foreign source of energy and end up in a sewer?"

The Android peered off into void the darkness that extended from the dimly lit area he currently stood in. Bizarre pipes of various colors lined the walls, each pipe seemed to be pulsing from whatever was following through them. Hovering just above the water Cell extended his senses out, finding the source of the energy to becoming from farther down the passageway in the direction the sewage water was flowing.

**"GGRRAAAAAAHHHHHHH!"**

The loud roar of some sort of beast shook the corridor, nearly knocking Cell down into the sewage below. Cell grimaced in mid air before summing forth his own aura and shooting down the corridor at high speed. His golden aura illuminated the area around him along the way.

**"GGRRAAAAAAHHHHHHH!"**

The second roar was even louder than the first splashing up some of the dirty water towards Cell, where it vaporized on contact with his aura. Cell soon came to an abrupt halt as he reached a dead end. In place of a rear wall, was what appeared to be a cage. The size of the cage made Cell appear to be nothing more than a gnat buzzing around. The Android was unable to see what lie behind the cage, only sensing an intense amount of blood-lust saturating the area. An intrigued Cell flew up right in front of the cage getting as close as possible before another booming roar was unleashed that nearly knocked the android on its ass.

**"GGRRAAAAAAHHHHHHH!"**

As the self proclaimed perfect warrior hovered in front of the cage, he gasped in awe at the appearance of two enormous glowing red slitted eyes appeared behind the cage. Suddenly a huge paw attempted to slam through the cage and pierce Cell on its claws, but it stopped just short of the Android's body. **  
**

**"GGRRAAAAAAHHHHHHH! So close!"** growled a coarse demonic voice as the gigantic claw retracted back behind the cage.

"What are you? Who are you? Where are we?" demanded Cell. The beast's mouth formed a sinister grin as it stepped back a bit and flared its power to illuminate itself, and reveal the full form of the nine-tailed demon fox in all its glory.

**"You should be more careful of what you consume mortal. There was far more to that idiotic ape you consumed than you could possibly have imagined. I am the all powerful Kyuubi no Kitsune, and we're in the recesses of your feeble little mind." **declared Kyuubi.**  
**

"This is impossible!" exclaimed Cell in disbelief.**  
**

**"Such foolishness. At the time of that boys birth some foolish humans in an attempt to control my power, bound me to his soul, imprisoning me in this cage. Now that you've gotten rid of him only I remain!" **cackled the fox.

"Well then, there is nothing for me to worry about. Your bark is obviously worse than your bite. If you were the source of his power, you're nothing to me. I'm far beyond his level." stated Cell in a nonchalant manner. In response Kyuubi cut loose another furious roar as he thrashed against the cage.**  
**

**"Watch your mouth whelp! I have lived far longer than you could ever imagine, done things you could only dream of!"** bellowed Kyuubi.

"I am the perfect warrior, you pail in comparison to me!" roared Cell.

The fox laughed in his face, **"Ha! I am a true immortal, I have no beginning nor no end! I may not be able to kill you, but you certainly hold no power over me."**

"I've had a enough of this." Cell turned to walk away, but stop in his tracks at the Kyuubi's next words.

**"You truly are a fool, leaving before I even make my offer?"** questioned the fox.

"What could you possibly offer me?" asked an incredulous Cell.

**"What else could a _mortal_ warrior like yourself need to truly complete your evolution?"** replied the fox.

"I am complete!" retorted a defiant Cell.

**"Physically maybe. You possess the peak of your powers, and even eternal youth so your powers will never fade. However you can still _die._"** declared the fox.

Cell snorted in disbelief, "That's absolute nonsense."

**"Is it? You are merely the creation of one man, from one little sector of this universe. There are far more beings within your universe, within other universes, hell there are other dimensions! What makes you think that there isn't at least one other being more powerful than you, with the capabilities of erasing you in a blink of an eye as you could this planet. If you are actually that naive, then you are truly a waste of my time."** the fox seemingly turned around and started to retreat towards the back of the cage only to be stopped by Cell.

"Alright then, what can you give me?" demanded Cell.

The fox sported a grin like a cat that just swallowed a bird as it turned back around, **"Immortality."**

"In exchange for what?" inquired Cell.

**"Freedom. You remove that seal, I get my freedom and you get immortality. It's quite simple."** stated Kyuubi.

"How I do know that this isn't some elaborate ruse. You must have some ulterior motive more than freedom. Kitsune's are notorious tricksters." surmised Cell.

**"Ha! What matters more to a prisoner than freedom?"** countered the fox. **"It doesn't matter whether those are my true motives or not. The moment I made the offer, you decided to go through with it."**

"How..." began Cell only to be cut off.

**"I know of your origins, composed of the cells of the mighty Frieza and the Saiyan Prince Vegeta. Two warriors who would never turn away from such an opportunity, your very existence is the fruits of their labor from pursuing such a goal. You will accept my offer, it's in your blood." **stated Kyuubi confidently.**  
**

"You're right, but it has nothing to do with blood. If you fail to come through with your end of the bargain, I'll show you things that are far worse than death." threatened Cell as floated over to the seal. The android gave the grinning fox one last glance before destroying the seal with a massive energy blast. To his surprise instead of the gate opening, the entire sewer started quake and crumble.

"What is this!" demanded an enraged Cell.

**"HAHAHAHA! FOOL!"** bellowed the fox before its image shifted into that of a single glowing purple eye with a black pupil. There was a momentary pause before everything seemingly exploded in a bright red light.

* * *

**As the Z warriors prepare for the ultimate showdown Cell has once again unleashed chaos, but this time onto himself. What will bear fruit from his latest gamble? Has the internal threat of Naruto, Sixteen, and Seventeen staged a successful jailbreak or take over? Or will Cell manage to come out ahead once again? Find out next time on Ninja of the Kais!**


	17. Ignition

**Disclaimer: **I don't own anything

* * *

**Ignition**

Goku, Krillin, and Gohan laid back upon the soft fresh grass next to the lake, simply relaxing after a solid session of fishing. At first the brief return to normalcy for her family made Chichi happy, but she soon became irritated by the various accidents caused by her husband and son's Super Saiyan strength. After another refusal of Goku and Gohan reverting to their normal forms, she threw them out of the house for her own peace of mind. Krillin had tracked them down as soon as they made their way to the lake. The bald headed ex-monk's true intentions were to gain a glimpse of his friends' new found powers. He couldn't wrap his head around how calm they were about the upcoming battle and determined that they must have some ace in the hole they were hiding back from everyone else.

Back at the house Chichi sighed as she swept floor, finishing cleaning up the the disaster of breakfast earlier that morning, "I can't wait till this entire Cell business is over with. After my boys bash that monster good, things can return to the way the used to be."

Down at the waterfront, Goku had his arms tucked behind his head with his eyes closed and a smile on his face as he took in the sounds of nature. Gohan moved to the edge of the water and leaned down on one knee skipping stones across the calm surface of the lake. Krillin idly skipped some stones as well while he marveled at the physical and mental states of Goku and Gohan.

_'Despite the fact that they're Super Saiyans, they seem so peaceful, so in tune with everything around them.'_ thought Krillin as he watched Gohan play with frog before turning back to watch a butterfly land on Goku's nose. _'Is that the big secret? They've somehow managed to become normal as-'_

Krillin's inner monologue was cut off by the appearance of a power source that nearly made him shit his pants.

"Waaahhhh..." he stammered incoherently, overwhelmed by his senses so much that he stumbled backwards and fell on his ass.

"What is that!" yelled Goku as he quickly leaped to his feet. The Super Saiyan stood in crouched position with his eyes closed and a frown on his face as extended out his senses, the peaceful mood quickly dissipating into one of confusion.

"It's huge! That's way too much power!" yelled Gohan as he mimicked his father's mannerisms.

"It's out of control! Oh no! If this can't be contained..." a look of horror formed on Goku's face as his voice trailed off.

"This is bad...I think it's Cell! He must have gone back on his word." exclaimed Gohan with a hint of panic in his voice.

"C-c-ce-cell has this much power..." stuttered Krillin, still in shock.

Goku shook his head in disagreement, "No that's not Cell's energy signature, it seems like...Naruto? But that's impossible!"

"Ah man! If this keeps up, the whole planet is going to blow!" shouted Krillin as he grabbed his head in frustration.

"It just changed again, now it's like the Androids. I know it's there but I can't pick it up!" said Gohan as he knelt and pounded the ground in frustration.

"We can't stand around here anymore; we must to find out what's going on out there and put a stop to it. Let's go!" declared Goku as he received an affirmative nod from his son and Krillin. Krillin grabbed a hold of Goku as both father and son lifted their hands towards their foreheads to perform the instant transmission, when suddenly the energy signature vanished from the face of the Earth.

"Huh..." blurted Goku in complete surprise as he stumbled.

"Where did it go..." murmured a confused Gohan, scratching the back of his head.

A few seconds later Cell's original energy signature prior to the chaos reappeared in the exact location it was before. Everything was back to normal as if nothing had happened at all. The father-son Super Saiyan duo stared at one another with puzzled looks, unable to comprehend what just happened while Krillin breathed a sigh of relief.

"We're safe for now." he said while falling back softly onto the ground.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

Vegeta paced back and forth atop the lookout, moments from trying to rip his hair out in frustration. The Saiyan prince was already fed up with waiting on Piccolo to emerge from the hyperbolic time chamber before Cell decided to go and pull this stunt.

"What the hell is going on out there! First there's this big explosion of energy from Cell, then it just disappears like it never existed! This is madness!" he yelled while restraining himself from punching a hole in the lookout.

"Maybe Cell's just trying to mess with us?" suggested a perplexed Trunks.

Tien shook his head in disagreement, "If he wanted to do that he'd flaunt his power level, that unstable burst of energy just made it seem like the solar system was about to go up in flames."

"Whatever is going on, it seems like Goku has gone to investigate." said Trunks.

"DAMMIT!" bellowed Vegeta as he fired off a massive energy blast into the atmosphere to assuage his frustrations. "WHAT WAS I THINKING LETTING THAT DAMN NAMEK GO AHEAD OF ME?"

Sweat-drops ran down the faces of Tien and Trunks, _'That's what he's worried about?' _

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

Goku phased into view right in the middle of the ring, several meters away from Cell. The Super Saiyan looked around the area, finding nothing out of the ordinary nor sensing any other energy signatures. Cell remained seated in front of him, completely quiet and motionless in what appeared to be a meditative trance. Relaxing somewhat, Goku took a quick scan around the arena.

"Well he certainly does know how to build a state of the art fighting ring." commented Goku as he let out a whistle in appreciation of the site for their upcoming battles.

"Thank you. I pleases me to know that this place is up to the standards of an elite fighter like yourself Goku." responded a now fully alert Cell. "Here to scout out the competition?"

Cell's statement almost threw him off guard. It seemed as if the android had no recollection of the events that just transpired. Goku managed to hide his surprise by replying with a casual tone, as if he was talking about the weather, "Yeah something like that."

Cell slowly rose to feet, as he reached his full height the two entered a stare-off. Silently they sized each other up, each trying measure the vast depths power the other hid beneath the surface. Goku searched out Cell for any indication of what triggered that previous power flare, but he could sense nothing from him. Even his mind and feelings seemed to void of any trace of the event, it was if it never occurred.

"Every single one will be accounted for." said Goku quietly as he prepared to depart.

"What was that?" asked Cell, not hearing him clearly.

"Before the battle is over, every life you've stolen will be accounted for. You will pay from your crimes against the people of this planet." declared Goku as he vanished via instant transmission. Cell stared at the spot he vanished from with an amused look on his face.

"Goku certainly seems like he has a lot offer. It seems like the games will truly be something to remember, well for me at least."

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

Goku reappeared back with Krillin and Gohan sporting a frown on his face.

"What happened?" asked Krillin.

"No idea. Cell seemed perfectly normal, well for Cell's standards." replied Goku.

"Did he give any indication as to what he was up to?" inquired Gohan.

"No, that's what's even more bizarre, Cell seemed to have no idea that anything just happened." answered Goku.

"Huh? How is that possible?" questioned Krillin.

"Either whatever he tried to do resulting in his memory being wiped clean, or outside forces played a factor." responded Gohan. "Neither answer gives me any sort of comfort. This whole thing is really disturbing."

_'Outside forces? For a minute there, I hoped it was inside forces, but there was nothing to show that was the case.' _thought Goku.

"Why can't things ever go easy for us." muttered Krillin with a sigh as as shook his head.

"I don't know what's more troubling..." began Goku.

"The fact that Cell could seemingly produce that kind of energy or that there's no way in hell he can control it." finished Gohan.

"Well, if he does accidentally blow himself up in the process of trying to win we just have to make sure it's not on this planet." joked Goku.

Krillin laughed and shook his head at the idea, "If you decide to pull of some half-baked scheme like that make sure you have enough time to teleport away from the explosion too."

"Yeah, I'm not going to be the one to have to explain to mom why we have to go back to Namek to use their dragonballs to revive you again." added Gohan.

The two gave Goku an expectant look, but he was already lost on another train of thought. "Dragonballs huh? Maybe we should do something to revive the ones here on earth..." mumbled Goku with a pensive expression.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

As the day of the Cell Games approached, each member of Earth's Special Forces did their due diligence in preparing for the battle. Vegeta took full advantage of his training in solitude within the Hyperbolic Time Chamber. The Saiyan prince took his training to a whole new level, trying break the limits of his Super Saiyan powers at every turn. To his frustrations he felt himself reach the plateau that Gohan warned of previously, the gains from his strenuous training became smaller by the day. This did not stop the proud warriors though, even after his time in the chamber expired, he returned to capsule corp to continue training in the gravity chamber for several more days.

Trunks was faced with issues similar to his father's, his second trip into the hyperbolic time chamber did not provide the nearly the same amount of gain as the first. He also was unable to find a way around his speed problem as well. Believing that despite his limitations in one area, he still had enough in others to defeat Cell, he took a different approach from Vegeta after exiting the chamber. He would need to find a way to make Cell fight on his own terms, tactics would become his key to victory. Thanks to some foresight by his grandfather, Trunks was able to study videotape of all of Cell's battles since they first encountered him thanks to Dr. Gero's own spying technology. Trunks meticulously went over the footage of every battle, trying to expose every possible weakness he could exploit against the Android in battle.

The males of the Son family managed to accomplish quite a lot despite being under the ever watchful eyes of ChiChi. Goku successfully completed Operation Dragonball Reboot. After a quick visit to King Kai to find the location of New Namek, Goku was greeted with a warm reception by the Namekians. At the recommendation of Elder Mori, Dende, the young friend of Gohan and Krillin, was selected to become the new guardian of the Earth. Upon Goku's arrival on the lookout with Dende, Mr. Popo was overjoyed to find the earth had a new guardian and him a new friend to spend time with. With the aid of Mr. Popo, Dende revived the old Dragonballs with one improvement, Shenron now granted two wishes instead of one. Piccolo split his remaining time between his preparing for the battle Cell, and aiding Mr. Popo in training Dende in his new duties as the Earth's guardian.

The human members of the Z-fighters weren't ones to be counted out for this fight, also making use of the Hyperbolic Time Chamber. They all knew that despite the fact that their Super Saiyan comrades would be the ones doing the bulk of the work in eliminating Cell, anyone of them could be called upon in a crucial moment to be the difference between winning and losing the fight.

Bulma had zeroed in her latest project, Eighteen. Initially under the direction of Eighteen, Bulma set out to remove several of the fail safes and other nasty surprises Dr. Gero hid within the female Android. This included a separate high impact bomb apart from the self destructing bomb under Eighteen's control. It appeared this explosive device was for Gero to detonate remotely from a close distance in an effort to destroy an enemy that couldn't be killed through normal combat. Bulma made some improvements on the fly to Gero's design with all the hazards out of the way. Eighteen was now stronger, faster, and more resilient than before.

Unfortunately Earth's Special forces were not the only ones 'seriously' taking things up a notch in preparation for a date with Cell in the ring. On one particular day Master Roshi's favorite midday exercise program was interrupted by a special announcement.

"Ladies and Gentlemen! Here he is! The World Champion, Hercule Satan!" declared the announcer as Hercule jumped upon the stage with his hands lifted up forming the peace sign with his fingers. He started to play to the crowd in front of him and they ate it up.

"HERCULE! HERCULE! HERCULE! HERCULE! HERCULE!" chanted the audience.

"Well, Mr. Satan is there anything you'd like to say about these upcoming Cell games?" asked the announcer.

"You can call me, The Exterminator because I'm going to squish that punk like the bug he is!" roared Hercule.

"And there you have it folks! Hercule! The Champ! The Exterminator! And first and foremost, our Hero!" declared the announcer.

"HERCULE! HERCULE! HERCULE! HERCULE! HERCULE!" chanted the audience again.

"Well there's one fight where I'll be rooting for Cell." mumbled Roshi as he changed the channel.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

"Well, today is the big day." said Krillin as looked down upon the Earth from the edge of the lookout. "Do we stand a chance out there today? Or are we only deluding ourselves?"

Piccolo overhead the former Monk's question and put in his own two cents, "For the most part Cell has hidden the majority of his power. It's difficult to tell what the odds are because both Goku and Gohan have hidden their power as well. I'm pretty sure they are both stronger than Trunks and Vegeta, but by how much I have no idea."

"If they are capable of beating Cell, it is a good thing they have kept their power hidden." stated Dende as he joined the conversation.

"Why is that?" asked Krillin.

"Cell shares character traits with Frieza, if he knew for certain he was going to lose the battle, he might do something drastic like Frieza did back on Namek." replied Dende.

Krillin shook his head as a shiver ran down his spin from his memories of Namek, "Good point, I could see totally Cell trying to blow up the Earth for the sake of winning."

"Let's get a move on." declared Piccolo as Tien joined them.

"Right, hopefully we'll see you later Dende." said Krillin with a wave as they took off.

"I'm counting on it." whispered Dende as the shot off over the horizon.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

"Where's Vegeta?" asked Gohan as he tapped his foot impatiently. "It's time to go."

"Father already went ahead without us." answered Trunks as he met Gohan, Goku, Eighteen, and Yamcha at the door.

"Good luck!" said the Ox King as he shook the hands of his grandson and son-in-law. Goku and Gohan brought ChiChi and her father to Capsule Corp to watch the battle. The hope was that a more comfortable setting to monitor the fight would alleviate some of ChiChi's nerves, but the Son Matriarch had already fainted moments ago when Goku announced it was time to leave.

"We don't need luck, all the hard work everyone has put in for this...Cell doesn't stand a chance." declared Gohan.

"Whoa..." murmured Bulma. She and nearly everyone else except for Goku, were slightly surprised by the confidence that seemed to be rolling off of Gohan in waves.

"Let's roll!" commanded Goku.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

"Here we are just moments away from the start of Cell games and it doesn't seem as if anyone else has arrived to the challenge Cell. The monstrous being continues to stoically stand in the middle of the ring, in great anticipation of what is sure to be a memorable day! It seems the only thing we are all waiting for, is the arrival of our beloved champion Hercule. The champ days ago declared himself to be a guaranteed lock to win today's tournament."

Right as he said this, the sound of a helicopter circling in overhead could be heard. The camera panned up to follow the chopper on its decent. As soon as it touched the dirt, the door popped open and out jumped Hercule followed by many members of his entourage.

"He's here! Our champion is here!" cheered the announcer as Hercule rushed over to him. "And despite battling the recent controversy over his sexuality, one thing has always remained straight about our beloved champion! His path to victory in the martial arts ring is unparalleled. The undefeated world champion of martial arts takes no prisoners and today he will prove that Cell is nothing but a minor blip on the radar screen!"

"Oh Yeah! That's right! Cell with all his fancy tricks and special effects, doesn't hold a candle to real strength! I'm going to crush that amateur like wanna be magician he is!" proclaimed Hercule.

Cell suddenly looked up into the sky, his eyes following a spec in the distance that was rapidly approaching.

"I should have expected Vegeta to be the first one in line." Cell chuckled to himself quietly. Vegeta quickly arrived on the scene, sporting his trademark scowl and already transformed into his Ascended Super Saiyan form as he landed at the edge of the ring with his arms crossed in front of his chest. He gave snort of disgust at the sight of Hercule and his pageantry before focusing his attention on Cell.

"It looks like we have an observer for today's match. How did he fly in like that?" the announcer asked Hercule.

"It's another trick, Cell probably hired a few guys to do some stunts and put on a good show." replied Hercule.

The announcer gave Hercule a questioning look before rushing over to Vegeta and jamming the mic in his face, "Sir, who are you? Why are you here? And most importantly what do you think of the Champ's chances in today's battle?"

"Do you have a death wish? Get the fuck out my face!" snarled Vegeta as he spiked a small dose of killing intent at the man, sending him scurrying back over to Hercule.

"That guys is insane! What do you think Champ?" asked announcer.

Hercule laughed of the question, "Must be nervous, probably his first time in front of a TV camera. Perhaps I'll give him a few pointers after the fight."

"That's right Hercule is not only a martial arts champion, but a-" His statement was cut off as he was left speechless from the shock of three more arrivals through the air, Piccolo, Krillin, and Tien. They all landed next to Vegeta who smirked at them.

"Don't know why you three bothered showing up." commented the Saiyan Prince nonchalantly.

"I know better than to leave the fate in the world in your hands." retorted Piccolo. Vegeta narrowed his eyes at the Namek before turning his attention back to Cell.

"Th-The-There's three more of them? Where are the all coming from?" questioned the befuddled announcer.

"It's just another one of those tricks, I tell ya!" declared Hercule.

Cell stopped staring into off distance as he turned to face the final arriving group, "Excellent! Everyone is finally here!"

"Wow! There is an even larger group of people flying in this time! How do they do it!" proclaimed the announcer.

Hercule started to get nervous, beads of sweat dropped down his face as he tugged at the collar of his shirt, "It must be some new fad of special shoes or something." He then noticed Eighteen amidst the group and promptly started to run his idiotic mouth again, "I get it! That woman is model and must be one of my adoring fans here to give me support! This guys must be her security detail! Hey babe, you should definitely show up at the after party when we're done here!"

The blond had to restrain herself from blasting the imbecile's head off.

"Yes! The appears to be both bravado and romance in the air here today!" proclaimed the announcer.

"Goku! Glad you could make it!" greeted Cell as the last five competitors landed.

"I wouldn't miss this for the world." replied Goku.

"Who's going first?" asked Gohan.

"Excuse me, but none of you are intending to compete are you?" interrupted the announcer. "It's obvious that the world champ will be going first, he's the only one who can beat Cell."

"Are you serious?" laughed Yamcha. "Come on! That guy couldn't beat a fly."

Krillin snorted, "Yeah, he's only the champion of one thing: bad haircuts."

"Ha! What is that hideous thing supposed to be? A half-fro?" added Yamcha in a mocking tone.

"Such Insolence!" exclaimed the affronted announcer. "And what? Do you presume one of you will be the ones to defeat Cell?"

"Of course you incompetent buffoon! Now get out of here, before I destroy you and your precious TV cameras!" bellowed Vegeta.

The announcer and his cameraman wisely fled back to the other side of the ring close to Hercule, "Well, there you have it folks! These competitors seem to believe our beloved champion is a joke, and that they will be the ones to defeat Cell. Personally, I believe they are scared put of their wits and are trying to cover it up with bravado! What say you Champ?"

"I say you're exactly right!" exclaimed Hercule. "Amateurs like these guys can't handle the spotlight!"

"Why you..." growled Vegeta, but before he could make a move Gohan starting walking towards the announcer and Hercule.

"Don't worry I'll handle this." said Gohan.

Hercule had just started to put on a show again in front of the camera's as Gohan walked up to him, "And I just want to let all my adoring fans out there know, that the champ will never let you down!"

"Excuse me mister!" said Gohan as he tugged on Hercules shirt. "It's not going to be very safe to be around here. You and your friends should probably clear out of here."

"Ha! That's funny kid! You're a riot!" laughed Hercule as he patted Gohan on the back.

"I'm serious, the fight will be too much for untrained people to handle being around." stated Gohan sternly.

Hercule doubled over with laughter, "Untrained people! That's classic!"

After a few seconds he realized Gohan was being dead serious.

"Don't you know who I am kid?" asked Hercule incredulously.

Gohan stared at him for a few minutes feigning ignorance. The champ missed the devious smirk that crossed Gohan's face before he started faking as if the proverbial light bulb went off in his head, " Oh yeah..."

"That's right kid! I'm-" Hercule was cut off by Gohan.

"The guy from that Gero's Mechanical Ho's commercial!" declared Gohan as he pointed an accusing finger at the man.

"Yeah! The - WHAT! WAIT A MINUTE! THAT WAS A HOAX!" shouted Hercule.

"My mom taught me how to deal with people like you! PERVERT!" yelled Gohan as he proceeded to kick Hercule right in the family jewels and send him flying into a nearby mountain. A shout of 'THAT'S MY BOY! GO GOHAN!' could be heard around the world at that moment.

"That should get rid of him for a while." said a smirking Gohan as he walked back towards his friends and received a high five from Yamcha. Goku shook his head trying to hold back his laughter, while Piccolo and Vegeta gave him a pair of approving smirks.

"I think Naruto has rubbed off him, way too much." commented Krillin.

"That oaf deserved it. Hopefully now he can't reproduce anymore." grumbled Eighteen.

"Now that the champion buffoon is out of way, who is going first?" asked Piccolo.

"Yes, who indeed?" added an eager Cell.

"Isn't it obvious?" responded a smirking Vegeta. "I will not be denied this opportunity. These fools interfered with my plans last time and look what happened, you ate two of them and beat down another. No more interference, this is my time!"

Everyone else looked to Goku and Piccolo, the leaders of the group who seemed to be having a silent conversation between the themselves. After a few seconds Goku shrugged and Piccolo gave a slight nod, thus allowing Vegeta to have the first crack unchallenged.

"You know he can't win, why are you letting him fight?" Gohan whispered to his father and mentor.

"He'll be more useful down the road, after he's beaten. In the case that we actually need his help, in his mind it must be proven that he can't win on his own." replied Piccolo with Goku nodding in agreement.

"Well, Vegeta it looks like you're finally getting your shot." stated Cell as Vegeta landed in the ring across from him. "I recall you making a lot of bold predictions before, only for you to be taken out of the battle by your own son. Perhaps you're not as good you claim to be?"

Instead of his comments riling the Vegeta like Cell expected, the Saiyan Prince merely gave him a flat look as if he was measuring Cells worth.

"Fool." muttered Vegeta quietly. The Saiyan prince started to speak in a quiet yet harsh tone, picking up volume and momentum as he went along, "I am the descendant of the royal Saiyan bloodline, the greatest warriors of our proud ancestry. I was born with the destiny to become the most feared fighter whoever lived. For a long period of time my potential was stunted by the likes of Frieza, allowing fools like Kakarot to surpass me in power. There was no greater humiliation for me, than to be brought back to life and see that some third class moron had ascended into the record books, not only claiming my birth right, but also taking the pleasure of eliminating the bane of my existence."

Vegeta growled as he clenched his left fist, blue electricity crackled around it as his golden aura sprung up around his body. His voice came out almost like a snarl as he started to speak again, "Then those ridiculous machines came along, the tinker toys of obsessed madman sent to destroy us all. I was forced to sit and watch as a mere child obtained the pinnacle of power of our great race. All my life I worked so hard for to obtain what was only thought to be myth, only to watch a half breed child to surpass me in a blink of an eye, almost effortlessly. But you! You, the greatest abomination of them all emerged, claiming to be the perfect warrior. Supposedly forged from the cells of the greatest warriors in the universe. You are the biggest insult to us all! You have no strength of your own! Stealing from even the weakest being on this planet! You are an affront to all warriors, who have lived by nothing but their own strength. And you dare to claim to be the greatest warrior, the perfect warrior? No more! You are nothing more than a leech, stealing the power of others and claiming it as your own! I will erase you from existence!"

Cell let out a mirthful chuckle in response, "A bit self righteous, aren't we Vegeta?"

Vegeta snorted in response, "That coming from a coward who ran and hid until he could steal enough power to survive? "

On the sidelines Tien was almost at a loss for words, "I didn't realize this was so...personal."

"For a man who values his pride and individual strength so much...I understand." stated Trunks.

"I would be lying, if I said there's no personal satisfaction in taking down someone who has stolen from me." added Piccolo. "The battle against Frieza was a pure fight for survival. This battle there is more to it than that...a piece of everyone of us is inside Cell, to have some bastardized clone beat the originals..."

"It can't/won't be allowed to happen." stated Goku/Gohan simultaneously.

"Well then Vegeta," began Cell as his own golden aura sprung up around his body, "Let us begin!"

Instantly the two vanished from their positions, entering high speed combat. To the untrained eye, the only evidence of battle were the rapid flashes of light accompanied by the crackling sound of the thunderous blows colliding. One moment the two appeared at the northeast corner of the ring, Vegeta blocking a kick from Cell with his forearm, the next they were on the south side with Cell stopping a vicious punch in its tracks. The two continued their high speed dance for a few minutes before settling back down on opposite sides of the ring again.

Vegeta suddenly launched himself towards Cell, throwing a right handed jab which Cell blocked easily before taking a few leaps backward creating some space between the two. The instant Vegeta charged forward for another attack, Cell vanished and reappeared in front of Vegeta striking with an elbow to Vegeta's solar plexus, only for his strike to pass through an afterimage. Vegeta reappeared above Cell, his body turned upside down as he attempted a vertical kick to Cell's neck. His attack also failed to connect, passing through an afterimage as Cell phased into view right behind his opponent, connecting with a spinning kick to Vegeta's back. Vegeta shot towards the ground at an awkward angle, but was able to regather himself by reaching out with his hand and springing into a back-flip to land on his feet. Cell immediately pressed his advantage, closing in on the Super Saiyan with a rapid assault of punches and kicks. Vegeta did his best to guard against the majority of the blows, but Cell managed to land some powerful hits with the Saiyan on the defensive. Vegeta gasped out in pain after catching a particularly vicious shot to the throat, and Cell took advantage of the opening with a quick double punch to gut that staggered his counterpart. The Android sported a maniacal grin as he grabbed Vegeta by the front of his armor, and struck an exaggerated pose as he wound up his arm for a power punch. Vegeta made Cell pay for his theatrics, quickly grabbing hold of him by shoulders and delivering a savage headbutt that sent over-sized insect stumbling backwards.

"Nice recovery right there." deadpanned Trunks.

Gohan snorted in disgust of what he was watching, "This fight is a joke right now, it's so sloppy."

"Going forward can we all agree on skipping the damn warm-up?" growled Piccolo in annoyance. Everyone shook their head in agreement.

Cell rolled his neck, working out a few kinks while Vegeta stretched out his fingers causing his knuckles to pop loudly.

"I must say, for all the talk surrounding your supposed perfection, I find myself disappointed. It seems all the extra crap that fool threw has weakened the true source of your power." stated Vegeta with a smirk.

"What? Your Cells? Ha! I find it highly amusing that the self proclaimed pinnacle of Saiyan power, pinnacle of Super Saiyan power, finds himself feeling so smug after getting roughed up by a mere fraction of both my power and skills. Counting myself, you're currently the dead last of all Saiyans!" mocked Cell.

"The robotic sensors you inherited from those other two pieces of junk are obviously malfunctioning android!" bellowed Vegeta as he suddenly exploded with energy. His golden aura flared around him violently as the ring beneath their feet quaked. "When it comes to Saiyan power, no one compares to Vegeta! UAAAHHH!"

Vegeta sped forward and feinted a punch that Cell shifted to block, Vegeta exploited the opening he created by sweep kicking Cell off his feet before rolling into a double kick that launched the Android into the air. The Saiyan Prince quickly reappeared in the air above Cell and hammered down with a double axe-handle that sent the Android flying towards the edge of the ring. Vegeta brought his arms back as he powered up a pair of medium sized energy blasts that he fired at connected with, triggering a explosion at the point of contact right on the edge of the ring.

"I should really watch myself, almost got knocked out of the ring." said Cell sarcastically, as the smoke cleared to reveal him in perfect condition hovering just above the edge of the ring. "You'll have to do better than that Vegeta!"

The Saiyan did not respond with words, he smirked before blurring out of sight. Vegeta reappeared next to his opponent, grabbed Cell by the arm, spun and slammed the Android's back into the arena floor. Cell recovered quickly rearing his legs back, and launching his feet into the chest of Vegeta. As the Saiyan launched into the air, Cell blurred out of view and reappeared high up above Vegeta with his hands forming a triangle.

**"TRI-BEAM! HAAA!"**

Vegeta shifted in mid-air and countered with his own blast.

**"GALLICK GUN!"**

The attacks met at the halfway point in a stalemate, the duo quickly abandoned their energy blasts simultaneously triggering an explosion. They quickly reappeared amongst the smoke of the explosion, engaged in high speed hand-to-hand combat. The two continued to trade blows with neither seeming to gain the upper hand, until Vegeta managed to overpower Cell and send the Android crashing into the arena floor.

Vegeta started to laugh as Cell slowly rose to his feet, "Is this all you've got?"

"Well see how much your laughing when I start using my real strength." retorted Cell.

"You're bluffing." stated Vegeta in disbelief.

"Am I?" responded a smirking Cell.

* * *

**_After a long build up, the Cell games have finally begun with Vegeta getting the first crack. So far the battle appears to be on even ground, but is Cell merely toying with Vegeta as suggested by Goku, Gohan, Piccolo, and even Cell himself? Or is the Saiyan Prince at the doorstep of the legacy defining victory he has always desired? More of the epic battle unfolds, next time on Ninja of the Kais!_**


	18. Grand Theft

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything

A/N: It's been a little while since my last update, but no worries my loyal readers! This edition is nearly twice as long as a normal update, and definitely the longest update of the story by far. Now on with the show!

* * *

**Grand Theft  
**

"What do you say Vegeta? Shall we take things up a notch?" challenged Cell.

"Fine then, show me what you've got." retorted a defiant Vegeta.

"Hopefully you can keep up..." replied Cell in a dark tone as an evil grin stretched across his face. The Android shifted into a powering up stance and started to roar as a reddish-gold aura sprung up around him. Green surges of bio-electricity crackled around the area as his energy level rose. The tiles of the ring close to Cell shakily rose from the ground before orbiting around Cell as he powered up. Vegeta stood his ground, determined not to be impressed by the display of power.

"I knew Cell was holding back, but man this is unreal!" shouted Yamcha as he raised his arm to shield himself from the debris kicking around the arena.

"I've got a feeling this is only the beginning..." added Tien as the swirling winds from Cell's power up died down. The aura around the androids body receded and tiles all paused in midair momentarily before dropping back into place along the arena floor.

"This is what you asked for Vegeta. Show us what you're made of." stated Piccolo.

"So you've manged to raise your power level a little bit, big deal. Hopefully, I'll manage to break a sweat now." commented Vegeta nonchalantly.

Piccolo snorted at that declaration, "This fight is over."

"What are you talking about?" questioned Krillin with slight disbelief. "Cell raised his power level, but they are still about dead even."

"Cell made a big show out of raising his energy level to make it seem like it was a lot of effort, but that is all it was, a show. He's still concealing the bulk of his energy." stated Goku in an even tone.

Vegeta's golden aura flared around him as he charged Cell, dishing out an onslaught of high speed punches. Despite being pushed backwards across the arena, Cell managed to deflect each blow easily. As they approached the edge of the ring Vegeta suddenly rolled into a double kick that Cell jumped up to avoid, but Vegeta recovered quickly and was back in Cell's face with another furious assault of punches. The Ascended Super Saiyan continued to push the Android backwards with his attacks despite the fact that Cell was still easily guarding against them.

"You dare to try and play me for a fool!" roared Vegeta as his aura violently flared around him. He outstretched his arms and fired off a rapid volley of elliptically shaped energy blasts at Cell. The attacks connected and triggered off explosion after explosion, producing copious amounts of reddish colored smoke. The rapid fire attack stopped as Vegeta dropped his left arm back to his side while charging up one big sphere of energy with his right.

**"Big Bang Attack!"** bellowed the Saiyan Prince as he unleashed the blast which made a direct hit and produced an enormous explosion. Vegeta stared upon the results of his attack with a confident smirk. This was quickly replaced with a snarl of anger as the pompous chuckle of Cell could now be heard emanating from the rapidly dissipating smoke. At the center of the smoke and debris, everyone caught a brief glimpse of Cell in perfect condition.

"All of that and he doesn't even have a scratch on him?" exclaimed Tien in disbelief.

"I know Cell is strong, but this is just ridiculous." stated Yamcha as he shook his head.

Piccolo frowned and he studied the scene with a critical eye, "Vegeta needs to be on guard, Cell is trying to make angry so he'll fight sloppier."

"Good, then this fight will end sooner rather than later. It's a waste of time, and the more it lingers on Vegeta increases his chances of getting himself killed." muttered Gohan.

"Maybe not." countered Goku. "It would be more useful of Vegeta could drag this out, getting Cell to show as much as possible."

Gohan shook his head in disagreement, "Not really, Cell has no unique fighting style of his own. The only thing he's shown so far is a mix and match of the styles of everyone he's been created from. He's able to blend and switch between them flawlessly, but he's not showing anything we haven't seen before."

"Gohan's right. He won't have anything in his arsenal that is original, it's not part of his design. He can only reproduce what has been put inside him. The basis of his movements are similar to Frieza and King Colds, since that's what his body structure most resembles. Everything else is a combination of known styles." added Trunks.

Vegeta charged into the still visible smoke, intent on laying out the Android for his insolence. His high kick aimed at Cell's chest was easily avoided and Cell simply vanished into another part of the smoke to dodge the follow up move. Vegeta recovered quickly and struck out with a power punch to where he heard Cell laughing at him. Cell vanished into an afterimage, and Vegeta let out a few curses in frustration. Vegeta flared his power to finish dissipating the smoke, but Cell was nowhere to be found. The Saiyan Prince scanned around frantically for his opponent, only to look up and find Cell staring down at him with a condescending smirk. Before the infuriated Vegeta could react, Cell descended down to the arena floor with Vegeta following suit.

"I was hoping you could provide some more entertainment Vegeta. I find myself sorely disappointed in your performance." stated Cell.

"Funny, I was just thinking the same thing. I came here to fight, not participate in some childish hide and seek competition. All you've done is run and hide since your big power up." retorted Vegeta.

"Very well. Perhaps, this will be to more of your liking." Cell's hand started to glow with blue energy momentarily, when he then made a quick horizontal slashing motion. Vegeta hastily dropped to the ground as an arc of energy sailed through the space his head just occupied. The arc continued to travel on for a long distance, cutting through several rock formations along the way and final splitting clean through a mountain. As Vegeta tried to flip back to his feet, Cell spear tackled him mid flip sending him flying out over the edge of the ring. Almost faster than anyone could pick up, Cell super sped ahead of Vegeta and kicked him high up into the air. Moments later, just as Vegeta managed to gather himself, Cell appeared behind him and planted an elbow into his spine. Vegeta reflexively coughed up some blood and cried out in pain as his body bended around Cell's arm at an awkward angle. Cell then quickly rotated his body and nailed Vegeta with a spinning kick in exactly the same spot, sending the Saiyan crashing down into the Arena floor.

"Thank you for the warm up Vegeta. This first match to kick off the Cell games has been quite fun, but there's no need to drag this out any longer. I'm ready for the next challenge." stated Cell as looked down upon Vegeta.

"Thr-Throwing in the towel so soon?" growled out Vegeta as he struggled to get to his feet. He manged to stand up shakily, before collapsing down to a knee, swiping angrily at the tile beneath his feet. "I'm not done yet!"

"Still the prideful Saiyan Prince to the bitter end, eh? I guess I'll have to put you out of your misery. Take some solace in the fact that your comrades will be joining you soon enough." Cell pointed his arm straight out at Vegeta as a small spiraling ball of energy formed in his palm. Suddenly the ball increased exponentially in size, nearly twice the size of Cell himself. "Hahaha! Here's a one-way ticket to the next dimension! **Odama Rasengan!**"

"Father!" cried out Trunks.

"Get out of there!" yelled Goku.

"Dammit!" growled Piccolo.

In a last ditch effort Vegeta stubbornly summoned his remaining strength and braced himself for the incoming attack. The initial impact of the Rasengan was strong, and Vegeta just barely managed to hold it at bay.

"AAAAAAHHH!" roared Vegeta as the attack started to push him backwards, a crater started to form beneath him as the arena floor started to churn up underneath his feet.

"HAHAHA! Enjoying your last moments Vegeta?" gloated Cell. "This must be hard for you with all those wounds. I bet this really makes them BURN!"

Cell suddenly pushed more force behind the attack and Vegeta started to become overwhelmed. The Rasegan was not only chewing threw his dwindling energy reserves, but had ground away at all points of contact with his body. His gloves on his hands and the armor on his forearms and left shin had shredded away, leaving his raw and blooded skin exposed to the attack. He bit his lip in order to push on through the pain.

"I know Vegeta is tough, but this is just plain insane! He's going to die!" exclaimed Krillin.

"I don't care about your stupid pride! Let us help you!" pleaded Trunks.

Vegeta gave no response, completely focused on the task at hand. Cell let loose a chuckle at the sight of him before saluting the Saiyan Prince, "So long Vegeta!"

The Rasengan suddenly doubled in size and completely overwhelmed the Ascended Saiyan. Vegeta roared and let of one last burst of energy to try and stop the spiral sphere, but it was to no avail. His hair faded to black at the loss of his remaining power. On the sidelines a nearly imperceptible signal passed between Goku and Gohan as both father and son vanished from view. Almost instantaneously they appeared next to Vegeta, Goku grabbing the unconscious Saiyan Prince and vanishing from view.

"HUUUUUU-AAAAAAAAAH!" yelled Gohan as he reared his left leg back with golden energy spiraling around it, before delivering a thunderous kick to the Giant Rasengan. The giant attack shot off his leg like a soccer ball, careening up into the sky before exploding into several small energy blasts that dispersed amongst the surrounding area, setting off a bunch of tiny explosions.

Krillin stared at the scene in disbelief, "What just happened?"

"I didn't even see them move! What speed!" exclaimed Tien.

"Who cares about speed, did you feel the power in that kick by Gohan? And it looks like it barely took any effort!" yelled an amazed Yamcha.

_'That wasn't normal speed, my sensors couldn't even follow their movements.' _thought Eighteen.

Krillin still couldn't wrap his head around what happened, "B-B-But? How? When? Where? I missed the whole thing!"

Down on the arena floor, Cell surveyed the scene in front of him with a frown on his face. _'How did they do that? I didn't even sense them move until they appeared next to Vegeta.'_

A heavily breathing Vegeta stared at Gohan with his one good eye in disbelief. For a single moment, he thought sensed a glimpse of Gohan's true power.

_'That brat...how he could have that much power? It's impossible!..unless...' _thought a beaten and bloodied Vegeta as he leaned against Goku, struggling to stay conscious. "T-th-that brat of yours Kakarot." Vegeta gasped out between heavy breathes. "H-He's the legendary..." that was as far as Vegeta got before he lost consciousness.

"The legendary what?" asked a puzzled Goku.

"We he certainly is talented, overcoming my attack in such a manner. Loaded with such potential at that age!" commented Cell. "Too bad he won't be able to realize it."

Goku swiftly moved back over the Z fighters and handed off Vegeta to Trunks and Tien. The duo quickly went to fixing up Vegeta with a sensu bean. Goku then turned his attention back to his son, who still hadn't moved from his position where he knocked away Cells attack,_ 'Vegeta was strong enough to enable to me to get enough of a glimpse of Cell's power. It looks like my hunch was right, there's only one person here who's strong enough to beat him. During our preparation for the androids I knew one day my son would surpass me, I didn't think it would be so soon. Go get him Gohan!'_

"You intrigue me boy, but I can have some fun with you after I get the fight I came here for." stated Cell before he turned to Goku. "Goku! Let's kick off round 2!"

Before his father could respond Gohan made a startling declaration, "No, there will be no more rounds, no more games." Gohan suddenly reappeared high above the ring and stretched his right arm out and released an energy blast directly at the center of the ring.

"Get away from the ring!" shouted Piccolo.

"Everybody Move!" commanded Goku as he flashed to the other side of the ring to put up a shield for Hercule and his group of spectators.

The blast set off a powerful, yet contained explosion. When the smoke cleared from it, Cell's state of the art of the arena had been completely vaporized, leaving a typical rocky wasteland style battlefield in its place.

Cell appeared in midair, a few feet from Gohan with an annoyed look on his face, "You destroyed my ring! You insolent child, I'll make you pay for this."

To Cell surprise, Gohan snapped back at him harshly, "The Cell games end right here, right now. You've been trying delude us with this ring and your demeanor. This isn't a game. You are trying to kill us for sport, and we are trying to destroy you. Stop trying to make this seem like something it's not for your own amusement. Taking pleasure from tormenting weaker beings is pathetic, especially for someone who claims to be the perfect warrior."

"If he's trying to piss off Cell, he doing a bang up job! Where did his brain go!" exclaimed Krillin.

Piccolo was the one to respond, "It may not seem like much, but destroying Cell's ring good thing. By making this appear to be a fighting tournament, it subconsciously changes your mentality when you fight. This puts an end to all Cell's mind games by bringing everything out into the open: this is not sport, it's a fight to the death."

"Winning the mental edge is half the battle. This whole ordeal started out as us fighting on Cell's terms, now we've flipped the script on him." added Trunks.

_'Excellent tactical maneuver, now Goku can show us why he's been so confident.'_ thought Piccolo.

"When you think about it, with the sharp mind he's developed from all the knowledge ChiChi packed into his head combined with the ridiculous fighting skills he has for his age, Gohan's going to be really scary when he gets older." asserted Yamcha.

Tien snorted, "When he gets older? Look at him now!"

Cell stared at Gohan with slight disbelief for a few moments, before letting out a chuckle, "So it seems that there's even more to you than meets the eye young Gohan, but I doubt it's enough to match me. One thing is for sure, you've just signed your father's death warrant. Come on Goku, let's get this show on the road."

"Backing down from an obvious challenge Cell? Don't tell me you're scared of Gohan?" taunted Goku.

"Goku have you lost your mind?" blurted a stunned Piccolo.

"Scared? What? Don't tell me..." Cell started laughing hysterically. "Don't tell me, you expect me to fight this child? Hiding behind your own son Goku? Perhaps Dr. Gero misjudged you, are you that big of a coward?"

"As much as I wish this were not the case, I am not the fight you are looking for. If you want to fight the best, then Gohan is the one." proclaimed Goku.

"Yeah right! This must some sort of scheme!" exclaimed Cell.

"He's not lying, I am the most powerful fighter on this planet." declared Gohan.

"What?" blurted Yamcha in shock.

"That's impossible!" roared Piccolo.

"There's just no way." said Eighteen in disbelief.

"You've got to be joking! You're in on the charade as well?" laughed Cell.

At this point everyone's assertions were just nearly in line with the insanity of Hercule and company.

"I don't believe I heard that young boy correctly. He couldn't possibly have claimed to be the greatest fighter on this planet." spoke the announcer into his mic. "What say you champ?"

Hercule struck a thinking pose, "We'll the kids got talent, that's for sure, but he's still rough around the edges. I underestimated him earlier of course, and once I'm healed up from this injury, I'd be happy to teach him a thing or too after I take down Cell."

"Yes..." skeptically replied the announcer. "And how much longer until you're ready?"

Sweat started to pour down Hercules face as he let out a nervous chuckle, "Groin injuries are a bit tricky, give it another hour or two."

"Well, there you have it folks! Another hour at least until the champ takes down Cell, in the meantime this talented amateur prodigy intends to give Cell his best shot!" declared the announcer.

"I never called him a prodigy..." grumbled Hercule in annoyance.

"Goku, this must be part of your great plan or something, right?" whispered Krillin.

"SILENCE ALL OF YOU FOOLS!" bellowed a now revived Vegeta. Everyone turned to him to give him a piece of their minds but he cut them off, "It's not up to you fools to determine anything. Only Kakarot was in the chamber with the brat, and he wouldn't bluff about his own son's strength, especially when in comparison to his own. He would never let an inferior warrior take his place."

At this declaration everyone took a step back and took a closer look at Gohan. For the majority of them, they'd still be thinking of him as a child, but now as they really took a look at him, they realized that couldn't be any further from the truth.

Vegeta growled and clenched his fists with anger, anger at himself, _'The stage is yours now brat, don't make me regret giving it to you. I too had been caught up in the delusion of this being a mere contest of strength. I should have been adapting the mindset I had back on Namek. Now show me, if you truly are, who I think you are.'_

"Strongest fighter on this planet, that's a pretty bold claim." declared Cell. "Let's see if you can back it up."

Cell descended to the ground, Gohan mirroring him as they both landed on the ground a good distance away from one another. They simply stared at each other with calculating gazes, sizing each other up. Cell smirked as he shifted to a power-up stance and opened the floodgates. The entire area started to shake under the might of his power as his reddish-gold aura sprung up around his body. It quickly became evident to everyone in the area, how much he'd truly been holding back before.

"Do you understand what your up against now boy? End whatever foolish plan your father is trying to employ and step aside. No mere child could possibly compare to me." asserted Cell.

Gohan raised an eyebrow at this, "Is that a fact?"

Gohan voice started at a low roar, but quickly gained momentum as he unleashed his power. A golden pulse of energy emitted from the young Super Saiyan as smoke, wind, and debris started to swirl chaotically around the area. Lights flashed around the area as some nearby rock formations cracked and crumbled under the strain of Gohan's energy. Everyone was stunned by the display, they couldn't believe as his power continued to grow alarmingly until it matched Cells own output and then tapered off as the familiar golden Super Saiyan aura flowed smoothly around his body.

_'I may have misjudged this one, such power will prove to be an excellent challenge!'_ thought Cell. "Very well young Gohan, any last words before we begin?"

Gohan snorted in response, "Yeah, I'm gonna give you to the count of 10, to get your ugly, yellow, no-good keister off my planet before you end up in front of King Yemma dead."

"What?" blurted Cell in shock.

"One..." began Gohan.

"Ha, maybe the big stage is a bit much for you boy." retorted Cell.

"Two..." continued Gohan.

The Android now let out a condescending chuckle, "You're obviously cracking under the pressure."

"TEN!" yelled Gohan as he suddenly vanished from sight.

"You-" Cell was unable to finish that thought as Gohan nailed him with a spinning kick to the face, far too fast for him to react. The kick sent Cell flying, but before he could get too far, Gohan reappeared underneath him and sent him flying straight up with a double kick to the chest. Cell shot up for sometime and just as he stopped rising, Gohan appeared underneath him again. The young Super Saiyan unleashed a vicious barrage of rapid fire punches, all the blows landing too quickly for Cell to react to them. The blows were so powerful, the made deep fist sized indentations on Cell's body every time they connected. He finished of the assault with a punch that nearly caved Cell's face in before grabbing the over-sized insect by the leg and spinning him around for several rotations. When he finally released Cell, the self proclaimed perfect warrior was on a high speed collision course with the ground. Just as he hit ground zero, Gohan lit into him with a volley of rapid fire energy blasts. Gohan topped of his opening sequence by throwing down one large ball of energy to trigger a massive explosion. His cape fluttered behind him the wind as he descended down to the edge of the crater created from his handiwork. With a scowl on his face, his arms folded across his chest, and his white cape fluttering behind him, he looked like some bizarre fusion of a young Goku and Piccolo.

"Keep the change, you filthy animal." he muttered loud enough for everyone to hear.

_'The attitude, the power, the resolve, the technique! I thought I'd seen it all when he first became a Super Saiyan and went toe-toe with Seventeen, but it seems that was only the beginning.'_ thought Piccolo.

"I've never scene him go into battle like this before. What the hell happened in that chamber Goku?" asked an astonished Krillin. Goku's only response was the slight twitch of his lips in a brief smile.

_'No, it started before that. Goku managed to nurture him to full fruition, but ever since he became a Super Saiyan, it was like he suddenly became a man.'_ thought Trunks.

There was a bright flash of light as a bruised and beaten Cell emerged from the crater in the ground. He narrowed his eyes at the annoyed look look Gohan was giving him, as if Cell wasn't even worth his time.

"Don't get too cocky boy, you just caught me off guard." declared Cell as with a burst of energy, his body healed the external damage done by Gohan.

_'It's not just Piccolo's ability to regenerate from major damage, he's got the stamina and healing of Naruto to maintain top form throughout the duration of a fight.'_ observed Goku.

Cell extended his arm out and fired a blue crackling ball of energy at Gohan. The young Super Saiyan answered by using his finger to flick the attack right back at Cell. The Android tilted his head the side allowing the returned blast the sail past and demolish a neighboring rock formation.

Gohan gave him a look of disgust, "I told you, no more of your stupid games. Stop trying to be a Frieza wannabe and toy with your opponent. You keep sending out that weak shit, I'll send it right back where it came from."

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

"My Gohan swearing? On live television in front of the whole world? Oh Goku, you turned him into a hooligan..." ChiChi fainted into the arms of her father, who chuckled nervously.

"Oh man, those two might be better off letting Cell win now, so they don't have to deal with ChiChi afterwards!" laughed Master Roshi.

"Her son is fighting for the fate of the world, she faints because he curses?" Bulma shook her head in disbelief before taking a look at her own son. "Between me and your dad, I'm surprised your first word hasn't been a swear word."

Trunks blew a raspberry at his mother before proceeding to fill his diaper causing Bulma to laugh. "Maybe I spook to soon."

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

Cell narrowed his eyes at his shorter counterpart before suddenly vanishing from view quickly followed by Gohan. There were several flashes of light across the area, marking the duo trading blows. They soon reappeared back in view, staring one another down once again.

"Impressive kid, let's take things up a notch." Cell suddenly vanished from view and reappeared in front of Gohan, nailing him with a roundhouse kick to the chest that sent the young fighter skidding back several feet.

_'So fast!'_ thought Trunks.

"His speed is incredible!" exclaimed Vegeta.

"You think that's fast? Just watch, Gohan." confidently stated Goku.

Cell grinned at Gohan, who's back was turned to him. His grin soon turned into a frown as Gohan turned back to him and give him a smirk before vanishing. Cell's eyes darted around the area trying to pick up the location of the young fighter, but unable to spot him.

_'I can hear him moving, why can't I see him? No one is that fast.'_ thought Cell. _'There!'_

Cell suddenly struck out behind him with his fist, only for it to pass through an afterimage of Gohan. Cell quickly reacted, sensing something to his right only for him to kick through another afterimage. Suddenly dozens upon dozens of images of Gohan phased into existence around Cell, nearly causing his jaw to drop in shock. Gohan moved so fast his afterimages appeared to be fully solid clones. (A/N: Think Ichigo Bankai vs. Byakuya)

"This is unreal! Kakarot! How did he obtain that kind of speed!" exclaimed Vegeta in shock.

"I thought I'd seen everything back on Namek when Goku moved so fast, you couldn't even tell he moved, but this is ridiculous!" yelled Krillin.

"Well..." started Goku, causing everyone to gain a concentrated look in preparation for an explanation. "It's a secret!"

All the Z-fighters face-vaulted or sweat-dropped as Goku started laughing.

Back in the middle of the battle, Cell sported an annoyed look on his face. "This is a very lovely show, but it's nothing more than a parlor trick!"

Cell struck out with his left fist and this time his aim was true, connecting with the left side of Gohan's face. The afterimages all vanished as Gohan was sent skidding back along the ground. Cell capitalized on his advantage and super sped in front of Gohan before slide tackling his smaller opponent. Using his superior size, Cell wrestled and grappled along the ground with Gohan getting in various blows before Gohan managed to throw him off. Gohan gathered himself and let out a snarl before he vanished from his position. He suddenly reappeared in front of Cell in mid air, aiming a double-kick to the Androids face only for him to pass through an afterimage. Cell reappeared directly above Gohan, thrusting a Rasengan at his chest. The attack seemingly connected with Gohan grinding into his chest, only for the teen to vanish at the last second in a puff of smoke and reveal a giant boulder with a hole bored right through it. Gohan suddenly phased into view directly above Cell and landed vertical kick straight to his head, sending the Android crashing into the ground. However, Cells body quickly vanished into a puff of smoke. Cell reappeared in midair across from Gohan, giving the young fighter a questioning look.

"Ninjustu, huh?" questioned Cell. "That little trick of yours, was you and a bunch of illusion based clones. I wasn't sure at first, but after your flawless execution of the substitution technique it became quite clear. Ha! The two of us talking right now aren't even real."

Cell smirked while Gohan raised an eyebrow in response as suddenly dozens of puffs of smoke went off around the area, revealing various Cells and Gohans that had been transformed into various objects around the area.

"Sheesh! Have they even been really fighting each other this whole time?" exclaimed Krillin.

"Of course baldy! They didn't start swapping fakes until that last little exchange. I don't see the point in using that blond fool's stupid techniques. They're worthless!" sneered Vegeta.

"Is that so Vegeta?" They all turned to find a Cell positioned right behind them, powering up a massive energy attack. "They certainly allowed me to get the jump on you!"

"It's the real one!" bellowed Piccolo. "Everybody move!"

"No!" shouted Goku as he realized what was going to happen. _'We aren't the real target!'_

"Too late!" shouted Cell as he unleashed the blast. Their eyes all widened dramatically, as they stared down the incoming beam in horror. It all happened so fast, yhere was no time to move out of the blasts path. A sense of doom overcame them until out of nowhere, Gohan suddenly appeared in the blasts path, blocking it. Everyone halted, stunned at the sight of Gohan coming out of nowhere to stop the attack in its tracks. When he noticed nobody was moving, Gohan snapped at them anger.

"GET OUT OF THE WAY!" he barked at them, causing them all to get moving.

"Just what I thought would happen, you appear in the nick of time to save your friends rather than yourself. Bad choice kid!" yelled Cell as he suddenly doubled the power of his attack and overtook Gohan. The blast carried off into a rock formation and demolishing it, and proceeding to streak across the land and sea before dissipating.

"CELL! YOU COWARD!" roared an enraged Piccolo.

"Gohan..." Krillin's voice was barely a whisper as he sunk to his knees.

"Hahahaha! That's what you get for coddling all those weaklings!" mocked Cell in celebration.

"This fight isn't over Cell. My son, won't be done in by such underhanded tactics." stated Goku, his tone laced with disgust.

Near the rock formation that Cell's blast passed through, the ground started to shake violently as a golden flash shined through from the center of the rock pile before it suddenly erupted in a flash of energy to reveal Gohan in all his glory. His body had a few cuts and scrapes, but he was no worse for wear.

"If that's the best you can do, you're time is up." declared Gohan, his voice laced with cold fury as he discarded his white cape.

"You're power is amazing! You're far more interesting than I gave you credit for boy. Let's see more of it!" declared Cell, with a maniacal gleam in his eyes.

"You're still playing games. I told you no more!" Gohan suddenly ascended into the air high above Cell. His power level started to increase as his super saiyan aura flared violently around him. "You've been toying with peoples lives for far to long. HUUUUUAAAAHH!" As Gohan roared out to the skies, his power level skyrocketed.

_'The more Cell infuriates him the stronger he becomes! Is he really...the true Legendary Super Saiyan?'_ thought Vegeta.

"What the hell is planning to do with all that power! He's out of control!" yelled Krillin with a hint of panic in his voice.

"Gohan has lost it before, but his attack is always focused at the enemy when he's enraged." advised Piccolo.

"Come on Gohan, use your training..." quietly whispered Goku.

Suddenly Gohan's posture shifted and he started an all to familiar chant, "KAAAAAA..."

"Dammit! Everybody get out of the fucking way! The brat's using the Kamehameha!" bellowed Vegeta.

"You must be hearing things, Gohan wouldn't take that kind of risk." said Krillin.

"MEEEEEEEEE..."

"Gohan couldn't possibly use the Kamehameha technique from there! He'd destroy the earth if he does!" declared Cell.

"The brat tried to do the same thing back on Namek with Frieza. He probably thinks any damage he does will fixed with the dragonballs!" yelled Vegeta.

Yamcha snorted, "That's absurd, Gohan is bluffing. There won't be any dragonballs left to fix anything. From up there he'll destroy the entire Earth!"

"There's another set of dragonballs on Namek you fucking idiot!" screamed Vegeta.

Gohan's power continued to rise and he continued his power up of his Super Kamehameha, "HAAAAAAAAAAAA..."

"Stupid boy! You won't defeat me this way!" proclaimed Cell as he assumed his own stance and started to raise his own power for a return attack. This far into Gohan's attack, Cell believed there was more credence to Vegeta's theory.

"What the hell? Now we're rooting for Cell to win this? This is insane!" yelled Eighteen.

_'It's not insane...It's brilliant!'_ thought Goku as he suddenly sensed something that put the last piece of the puzzle into place.

"I'd almost forgotten about Goku's instant transmission technique. You could blow up the earth in an attempt to kill me, with Goku zipping of to use the Namekian dragonballs to fix everything afterward. There's a chance I could survive the explosion, but also a chance I might not so I'm nipping this in the bud before it gets started! It's been fun Gohan, but you're little plan will only result in your end!" declared Cell.

"MEEEEEEEEE..."

"You're finished brat! MASENKO-HAAAAA!" Cell unleashed his massive energy attack at Gohan. He smirked realizing that he had not given Gohan enough time to finish bringing his attack to full power.

"What!" exclaimed Cell as he felt someone grab him from behind and clamp down on his arms and legs. "What the hell get off of me! Who are you! What are you doing!" The android snaked his head around to find the merciless eyes of Gohan staring into his own. "How-" Cell was cut off as the duo suddenly vanished from their spot on the ground before reappearing high up in the air in front of Cell's incoming wave. A short distance away the original Gohan still powering up his attack, vanished and reappeared where Cell was previously.

"HAAAAAAAAAA!" roared Gohan as he released his blast.

Cell realized the trap he'd fallen into, but it was too late. "NOOOOOOO..." he cried out as the two energy blasts merged and slammed into him, the shadow clone on his back dispersing the moment before impact. The combined attacks tore into Cell, enveloping his body before erupting in a massive explosion. As the shock wave from the aftermath of the attack hit, Hercule and company we're hiding behind a large rock formation, huddled up in fear. The members of Earth's Special Forces all shielded themselves from the debris chaotic blowing in every direction from the aftermath of the attack.

"Incredible!" exclaimed Goku in awe.

"What a devious and devastating combination! The full power Kamehameha, the shadow clone, and the instant transmission were strung together so precisely, Cell never stood chance!" exclaimed Trunks.

"Not to mention, he ended up using Cell's own power against him." added Tien.

"Don't get to excited yet, it's not over till, it's over." advised Piccolo.

"It may just be over Piccolo, look!" Krillin pointed out towards the site of the explosion. There was a small object dropping from the sky.

"What is that?" questioned Trunks as he moved to get a better look.

"It's a leg!" exclaimed Eighteen in shock. "That's all that's left of Cell!"

"WHAT!" was the collective shout of everyone. The smoke from the explosion cleared, revealing her assertion to be correct. All that remained was the lower right leg of Cell, burned off just below the knee.

"Well, I'll be damned. The brat actually won..." muttered Vegeta in disbelief.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

"Oh man, Goku! That kid of yours is one doozy of a fighter!" exclaimed King Kai. "He's really come into his own, pulling that combination off. Cell's done for. Maybe I should let the Supreme Kai know, they don't need to rush..."

Suddenly something flashed across his senses causing his antennae to spring up.

"Maybe, I spoke too soon." he said with a hint of panic in his voice.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

"Alright Gohan! You did it buddy!" yelled Krillin as he danced around.

"Yeah! Like father, like son right!" cheered Yamcha as he patted Goku on the back.

As everyone started to celebrate around him, Piccolo closely observed his former pupil. Gohan hadn't let his guard down yet, he was still staring at the leg of Cell. That's when Piccolo sensed it, there was still a life force and ki signal emitting from the leg.

"You've got to be kidding me..." he blurted as the implications dawned on him. The Namek reacted quickly, firing a blast of energy at the leg.

"What the hell are you so jumpy for Namek! Cell's dead!" shouted an annoyed Vegeta.

"No, I sensed life force coming from that leg." declared Piccolo.

"I did too." added Goku/Gohan simultaneously.

As if on queue, a flash of green light emerged from the smoke at shot across the area until it stopped about one hundred yards from Gohan. The orb of energy shrunk to about the size of a baseball, before slowly expanding and starting to take shape. Within minutes the green light silhouetted the body of a fully formed Cell before fading away.

"I AM WHOLE!" exclaimed heavily breathing Cell, in perfect condition.

"There's just no way that should be possible! All his major organs were destroyed!" roared Trunks.

"It's very much possible, and Cell is very much alive." growled Piccolo.

"It seems to only way to kill him, is to vaporize his whole body." asserted Goku.

"No shit, Kakarot." retorted Vegeta.

"You boy...are incredible! I never expected to find someone this powerful on this planet." exclaimed Cell seemingly out of nowhere, with a hint giddiness in his voice.

"Where is he going with this..." muttered a puzzled Piccolo.

"What a joyous occasion! If I slipped up against you, you could actually kill me! You know what that means? I finally get to do battle at full power!" yelled Cell in excitement.

This threw everyone for a loop. To Krillin it was mind boggling, "Full power?"

Vegeta snorted, "This has to be some kind of trick, he's obviously bluffing."

_'I don't know about that.'_ thought Goku.

Cell started laughing maniacally as he flared his energy and started powering up. No one could believe it, his power simply kept on rising to unheard of levels with no end in sight.

"Amazing..." stammered Trunks.

"Hmmm..." Goku paid no attention to Cell, completely focused on the lack of response by his son. Gohan merely stood in the same spot with a deadpan look.

"So Gohan, what do you think?" asked Cell with a smug look as he completed the unlocking of his full power..

A nonplussed Gohan cocked an eyebrow at him, "You've been messing around this whole time and that's all you've got?"

"Insolent child." sneered Cell. In a flash he struck out an nailed Gohan with a punch to the face.

"Not only has his power increased, but his speed as well!" exclaimed Piccolo.

Gohan was unperturbed by the blow, as Cell retracted the blow, he merely tilted his head back into position.

"Thanks, I had an itch there." deadpanned Gohan.

"H-h-how is this possible! There's no way a Saiyan child could exceed me at full power!" roared Cell.

"Maybe no ordinary Saiyan child, no, but that brat's the Legendary Super Saiyan! You don't hold a candle to him! His power is unparalleled!" declared Vegeta.

Cell was puzzled, "Legendary Super Saiyan?"

"I thought you already debunked all this legend stuff." said Krillin with a sigh.

"Tell me Kakarot, when you faced down your son in your final battle in the hyperbolic time chamber, did it feel as it you facing a being who could draw on a seemingly limitless reserve of power? The more the battle dragged on you reached your limit, yet he seemed to only become stronger and stronger?" Vegeta paused before turning to Gohan. "Tell me boy, did you find yourself unable to reach the Ascended form? You found no higher transformation, your power just rose to the same levels naturally didn't they!"

"Is this true?" questioned Cell.

"I don't really know or care about what he's going on about. I'm not a full blooded Saiyan, so it's probably a moot point. The only thing that matters is you being a smear on my fist." Gohan landed a staggering right hook to Cell's jaw, quickly followed by a debilitating roundhouse kick to Cell's left knee. The two blows came so fast and were so powerful, the only thing that registered for Cell was intense pain. Gohan followed up by launched his body like a projectile missile at Cell's chest. Cell's body caved around Gohan's awkwardly before it was launched skidding and tumbling along the ground.

"AAAH! Damn you!" Cell rolled over to his knees, struggling to breath and gripping his chest. "He only landed three blows, how could he damage me this much! A worthless half-breed child!"

Cell was rewarded with another kick that sent him flying, flowed by a blast of energy that blasted him into a nearby rock formation before burying him underneath a pile of debris. After a few moments with no response, Gohan fired another blast at the pile, annoyed.

"I know that was not enough to kill you, you're not that pathetic. Get up!" shouted Gohan.

"You're dead! You hear me boy! Dead!" bellowed Cell as he came roaring out of the pile of rubble. The Android zoomed in and engaged his smaller counterpart in high speed hand-to-hand combat. As the duo exchanged blows, Gohan sensed something was off. Every time Cell managed to come in contact with him, he would feel his energy fluctuate. Cell managed to block a punch to the solar plexus with one arm and managed to grab a hold of Gohan's arm with his free hand. Gohan felt the brief fluctuation in his energy before his strength suddenly started to leave him. Reacting quickly, Gohan rotated into a spin-kick that sent Cell flying.

"You leech." mumbled Gohan under his breath. _'He's like those first wave of androids, he can absorb power too. He's been hiding it all this time as a trump card. It seems to be predicated on touch, so I'll have to keep my distance.'_

A smirk formed on Cell's face when he overheard Gohan, "So the cat is out the bag. No use trying to do this the covert way any more."

"That's only if you can catch me." retorted Gohan.

On the sidelines Krillin scratched his head in confusion, "What are they talking about?"

"Cell's up to something." grunted Piccolo.

"Yeah, I haven't figured out what it is, but Gohan seems to have some idea of what he's up to." said Goku.

_'The brat's energy signature had some strange fluctuations briefly. It seems Cell was the cause, so the brat is wisely going to fight long range.'_ thought Vegeta.

"I think Cell is trying to drain his energy." announced Eighteen.

"I thought he could only do that with his tail?" said a confused Trunks.

"His tail has retracted, so apparently now he can do it by touch." she replied.

Gohan charged up ball of energy in his hand and threw it at Cell. The Android deflected the attack with his left hand, sending it flying off into the atmosphere where it exploded.

Cell laughed at the attack, "That won't get the job done!"

"Hn." was Gohan's reply as he analyzed the situation. With a burst of energy he vanished from view and Cell didn't know what hit him. Neither did anyone watching, they couldn't see anything but flashes and hear Cell's cries of pain as Gohan landed blow after blow after blow. Then suddenly it was all over as Cell crashed down into ground, buried beneath a ton of rubble.

"We've already seen this ability at work in Gero's outdated models. You can't even absorb it raw, so if you can't catch me, you can't get anything." he confidently asserted. Gohan momentarily dropped his guard, and it cost him, as the young Super Saiyan quickly found that his body no longer under his own control. A bruised and beaten Cell emerged from beneath the pile rocks on top of him, a single thin strand of red energy extended from his finger and attached to Gohan's foot. As he rose it the air, Gohan followed.

"Your strength is truly remarkable young Gohan. Normally someone in my position would loathe to find themselves facing someone like you. However, I relish such an opportunity! Your strength is now mine!" exclaimed Cell as several red tendrils of energy suddenly emerged from his body and coiled around Gohan. The young warrior cried out from the pain from the tight squeeze as Cell started feasting upon his power.

On the sidelines, the Z fighters could only watch in horror as their son, friend, comrade, and great hope for victory was literally being sucked away.

"You coward! You fiend!" exclaimed a disgusted Tien.

Trunks fell to his knees in disbelief, his feelings quickly turning to frustration as he pounded his fists into the ground, "It's not fair! Gohan had him! That monster!"

"It's not over yet!" yelled Piccolo as he discarded his turban and cape while powering up.

"I'll break Cell's hold, you get Gohan out of there!" declared Goku. The calm in his voice belied his rage boiling under the surface.

The two launched themselves at Cell, but before they could get too close two more tendrils of energy struck out from Cell's body. They both moved to deflect the defense mechanisms, yet upon immediate contact with their body all they felt was an excruciating amount of pain. It was as if they were being burned and electrocuted to death at the same time. The Super Saiyan and the Namek dropped to the ground, temporarily paralyzed.

"It's rude to interrupt someone in the middle of a good meal!" taunted Cell.

"No, Gohan..." grunted Goku as he made futile effort to regain control of his body.

"Damn you Cell..." whispered Piccolo as he teetered on the edge unconscious.

At the sight of his father and mentor being struck down, an enraged Gohan tried to push through the pain and break free. However, the surge of energy he summoned forth only worked against him as it went directly to Cell before he could make use of it. Gohan soon found his Super Saiyan power leaving him altogether as his golden aura started to shrink down.

On the sidelines, images of finding the dead body of his mentor flashed through Trunks mind before he exploded at Cell in a burst of rage.

"I won't let it happen again!" roared Trunks as he charged Cell. He pulled his arm back to power up an attack to launch at Cell, when he suddenly felt an excruciating amount of pain in his chest, as if it was on fire. He looked down to find a red tendril of energy going right through the center of his chest, burning a hole clean through. Blood started to pool in his mouth as he stared back down at Cell in shock.

"You just couldn't wait your turn, could you?" admonished Cell. "Your strength doesn't really compare to Gohan's, but who am I to pass up a free meal?"

Trunks strength left him much faster than Gohan as his eyes soon rolled back in his head. His body reverted back to its normal form and the tendril flung him back towards the rest of the Z fighters. His body skidded along the ground before coming to a stop face up at the feet of a shell shocked Vegeta. Goku tried to will his body to stand up and fight, but all that moved was his head in time to watch as Cell's attention turned back to Gohan. The boy continued to struggle until the end, but his hair soon faded to black and the energy drain left him on the edge of unconsciousness.

"Thank you, young Gohan. Doing battle with you has been a _pleasure._" Cell extended his right arm out towards Gohan and pointed his index finger at him. A red laser beam of energy fired from his finger right through the upper left cavity of Gohan's chest just as the tendrils of energy uncoiled from around him. Goku could only watch in horror as Gohan collapsed to his knees with a look of disbelief spread across his face. As his little remaining energy faded out, the young Saiyan hybrid fell face down to the ground.

"GOHAAAANNNNN!" cried out Goku in anguish.

"Perhaps he might have been spared that fate, in you had stepped up to the challenge Goku. Never send a boy to do a man's job." gloated Cell.

_'I'm only going to get one shot at this,'_ thought Krillin as he eyeballed his targets. He jumped up with his arm cocked out to the side and his wrist snapped twice, firing two sensu beans. The former monk's aim was true, the two beans landing in mouths of Goku and Piccolo. Unfortunately that was all she wrote for the bald warrior, in the blink of an eye Cell appeared next him and struck a blow that sent him flying and knocked him out cold.

"I don't believe you'll be needing these for much longer. An excellent souvenir if I do say so myself." stated Cell as he retrieved the remaining sensu beans. He emptied the contents of the bag into his palm, where the remaining beans were absorbed beneath his skin for safe keeping.

Meanwhile, Goku and Piccolo were back on their feet joined by Vegeta. Power and fury rolled off of the trio in waves as they stared down Cell with loathing glares.

"I'm assuming you've abandoned all notions of any sort of fair fight." stated Eighteen sarcastically as she joined them.

"Just make sure not to get in our way." tersely retorted Vegeta.

Piccolo closed his eyes and sent out quick a telepathic message, _'Tien! Yamcha! The minute Cell is occupied, grab Trunks and Gohan and book it to the look out. There still might be a chance Dende can do something, if not the dragonballs are already there.'_

Cell let out a sigh, "I don't know what you intend to accomplish flaunting such pathetic power like that. Such a shame that young Gohan was only one of a kind."

"Don't you dare speak his name." growled Goku.

"Sorry, did I touch a sore spot? You should have seen the look in his eye when-" Cell was cut off as Goku suddenly appeared in front of him launching a powerful kick that Cell blocked with his left forearm.

"That's the spirit!" mocked Cell as he tilted his head to the left to dodge a punch from Piccolo. He quickly knocked the two backwards before reaching out and grabbing the incoming fist and leg of Vegeta and Eighteen. He spun around before flinging the two back in opposite directions. There was no let up for the Android as Goku and Piccolo quickly rejoined the fray, engaging in a high speed battle. Cell managed to dodge or block every attack they threw out easily until the duo suddenly backed off and Cell was nailed by a pair of energy blasts. Cell quickly emerged from the attack unfazed, but he was no wiser to the escape of Tien and Yamcha with Gohan and Trunks to the lookout.

"Insignificant pests." spat Cell in disgust. In a brutal display of speed, power, and efficiency, he dealt out a single blow to each of his four opponents, nearly putting them all down for the count.

"How can he be so strong..." gasped out a staggering Vegeta.

"He downed us with only one blow a piece." grunted Piccolo as he spat out some blood.

"Gohan..." growled Goku as he collapsed to a knee.

"Don't you see how futile your efforts are? Only one of you fools was a match for me, more than a match, and he fell by my hand. I am the perfect weapon, even able to overcome a superior opponent by making his strength my own. Perhaps I should just put you all out of your misery..." Before Cell could even move an inch, three figures decked out in hooded black cloaks and facial masks styled in the forms of animals, appeared seemingly out of nowhere in front of him. Their power levels were completely suppressed, no one was able to get any kind read off of them at all. The figure in the tiger style mask had a sword strapped to his back, while the one wearing the bird style mask had a pair of black gloves attached to the pouch on his waste. The figure with the bear style mask standing in the center towered over both of his comrades; he stepped forward towards Cell.

"Android Registration #0021, Project name:Perfect Warrior; Codename: Cell; Threat Level: High. By the order of the Supreme Kai, for your crimes against the planet Earth, violation of the space time continuum, and your presence as a threat to all quadrants of the Universe, you are condemned to total annihilation. Immediate Surrender is advised." declared the figure, his voice carrying a mechanical quality to it.

Cell just stared at them like they were insane, "Who the hell are you people?"

"Refusal of Surrender is acknowledged. Hostile target acknowledged. Termination Protocol Initiated. Team Kai, green light!" he declared as the three jumped into action.

* * *

_**Just as all hope seemed lost, the Earth has seemingly been granted a reprieve. Can the mysterious Team Kai turn the tables on the greatest threat the universe has ever seen? Or has the Earth's only hope for victory already been snuffed out by Gohan's demise? And just what faces lie behind the masks of Team Kai? Don't miss the answers to all these questions, not to mention the thrilling conclusion to this epic battle for the fate of the Earth, next time on Ninja of Kais!**_


	19. A Time to Seal

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything. However, Ninja of the Kais' Naruto would pwn canon Naruto everyday of the week, and twice on Sundays.

* * *

**A Time to Seal  
**

_****A little less than Two Weeks Ago:Cell's Mind Scape****_

"You're right, but it has nothing to do with blood. If you fail to come through with your end of the bargain, I'll show you things that are far worse than death." threatened Cell as he floated over to the seal. The android gave the grinning fox one last glance before destroying the seal with a massive energy blast. To his surprise instead of the gate opening, the entire sewer started quake and crumble.

"What is this!" demanded an enraged Cell.

**"HAHAHAHA! FOOL!"** bellowed the fox before its image shifted into that of a single glowing purple eye with a black pupil. There was a momentary pause before everything seemingly exploded in a bright red light.

****_In the Real World_****

Cell's body started to puff up like a balloon as it expanded to several times its normal size. His power output started escalating tremendously as a red spherical shaped barrier formed around his body. This continued on for several seconds until Cell's body seemingly reached its limit and appeared as if it was about to burst. Without warning, Cell suddenly vanished from the face of the Earth without a trace.

****_The Supreme Kai's Planet_****

Cell's balloon like body phased in existence, hovering above the surface of the small planet. Just before his body went nuclear, the tip of his tail expanded into a funnel and shined with a bright green light. Three red orbs of energy fired out of the tail-funnel consecutively and crash landed onto the grassy meadows of the planet. In the blink of an eye, Cell's body collapsed back to its regular size and vanished back to the earth with the Android none the wiser to what just occurred. The red orbs of energy flashed brightly momentarily before dispersing, revealing the bodies of Naruto, Seventeen, and Sixteen. Kibito and the Supreme Kai were nowhere to be found and the trio remained undisturbed for a few hours until they all began to stir.

"Oh, man..." groaned Seventeen as he returned to the realm of consciousness. "Anybody get the number of that bus?"

"Damn, that was one wild fucking ride." muttered Naruto as he tried to sit up.

Sixteen didn't say anything, just sat up as his body initiated a full system scan.

"Are you alright Sixteen?" asked Seventeen.

"I'm fine for the moment, functioning at 64% capacity, but I'll be in need of some repairs to regain optimum efficiency." replied Sixteen.

Naruto looked at him as if he was speaking a foreign language, "Huh?"

Seventeen shook his head as he translated, "The big guy needs some replacement parts."

"Dr. Briefs and Bulma have all of Gero's old stuff back on Earth. They might be able to fix you up." suggested Naruto.

"That should be adequate." said Sixteen.

"Don't we need to go back and squash that bug anyway? After losing us, he should be a piece of cake right now." declared Seventeen, cracking his knuckles.

Naruto scratched the back while sporting a sheepish grin, "Well things didn't go exactly as planned..."

Seventeen narrowed his eyes, "What do you mean, didn't go exactly as planned?"

Naruto waved off his concern, "It's not that big of deal. Cell somehow managed to keep all his strength, and possibly got even stronger."

"Yeah, I can see your point." said Seventeen as he nodded in understanding. He proceeded to grab Naruto by the shoulders and shake him like a rag doll, "Your big plan blew up in our faces! This could only mean the end of the entire fucking universe! Our escape was supposed to make him weaker, not hand him the keys to unlimited power!"

"I didn't know! I didn't know! I didn't know!" pleaded Naruto as his head bobbled about with swirls in his eyes.

"It is not his fault, we should have assumed that Cell's body could retain the imprint of his perfect form, despite losing our physical bodies." stated Sixteen.

Seventeen let Naruto go before sighing and running a hand through his hair, "So what do we do now? No one is strong enough to beat Cell. Goku is going through the same training Vegeta and Trunks went through. He obviously won't come out any stronger than either of them."

"There's more ways to winning than just beating Cell in a straight up fight. I doubt someone like him will fight fair, so neither should we." declared Naruto.

Sixteen nodded in agreement with his sentiment, "He's right, we must explore all avenues of overcoming Cell. Superior combat skills won't necessarily decide this, we must be creative about finding a solution."

"Where are we, anyway?" questioned Seventeen as he took a look around.

"Home planet of the Supreme Kai." announced Naruto in a grandiose fashion.

Seventeen gave him a blank look, "Supreme who?"

"The man who Goku trained under was King Kai, I assume this Supreme Kai must be his superior officer." stated Sixteen.

"Yeah, something like that." said Naruto, not really wanting to have to explain the Kai system of hierarchy. "It looks like nobody is home, so let's head back to Earth to see what we can do about getting you fixed up big guy."

_****Earth: Capsule Corporation Head Quarters- Dr. Briefs Lab****_

Dr. Briefs let out a long satisfied sigh after taking a sip of the warm, soul soothing goodness of his own special brand of cappuccino. The scientist resorted to his comfort drink during his down time the past couple days, the news of Naruto's demise catching him off guard. Instinctively he knew the inherit risks of going to battle for all of the Z fighters, yet to him the blond young man just had an aura of confidence around him that made him seem unbeatable. He'd also previously made somewhat of a breakthrough with Dr. Gero's technology and the blond was the central figure in all of his plans. This was all in addition to losing a young man that had quickly become someone he considered a good friend. _  
_

"Well, it looks like it's back to the old drawing board..." his external musings were brought to a halt as some wind kicked up blowing papers off his desk, and the trio of Cell escapees appeared right in front of his desk. Dr. Briefs just stared at them blankly. His mouth started moving, but no words came out._  
_

Naruto smirked at him, "What's up Doc? You look like you've seen a ghost."

"Who? What? When! How!" blurted Dr. Briefs, still unable to process his thoughts coherently. Who would when a friend thought to be dead just appears out of the blue.

"All, in due time." Naruto assured him. "But first and foremost, the big guy here is in need of some repairs. And we need to maintain a low profile, no one else can no we're back."

"Ah! I see, you plan to be the proverbial trump card, as they say. Yes a good plan indeed." stated Dr. Briefs as he reached into his desk drawer and pulled out a small scanning device. He activated it and proceeded to look over the damaged areas of Sixteen's body. "It looks like you've been through quite the ordeal. I think I can manage to get you back to your full capacities. But you must tell me how you pulled this off."

"Well, right after I left here-" started Naruto.

He was cut off by Seventeen, "Quick! Someone is coming!"

Dr. Briefs shuffled the trio off into a storage closet just seconds before Bulma entered the room with Eighteen close behind.

"Hey dad, sorry to interrupt," began Bulma when she noticed that her father was alone in the room. "I could have sworn I heard you talking to someone."

"Oh, I just finished wrapping up a brief conference call my dear." he replied quickly. "Now what can I do for you?"

"Oh, well we just needed your help with using a couple of Dr. Gero's machines..." began Bulma as she lead her father and Eighteen back to her own lab.

_****4 hours Later****_

"Thanks Dad!" Bulma gave her father wave as she and Eighteen exited his lab.

"Oh my, that took much longer than I expected. Oh!" he suddenly remembered leaving the others locked in the storage locker. He rushed over to open it, only to find a Naruto clone taking a nap on top of some boxes. The clone stirred as lights turned on with the opening of the door.

"(Yawn) Man, that was a good nap." the clone looked up to see Dr. Briefs staring at him with a puzzled expression. "Oh, I'll let the boss know it's clear to come back." said the clone before it dispelled.

Seconds later Sixteen, Seventeen, and Naruto appeared behind him. With both Seventeen and Naruto sporting looks like a cat that just swallowed a canary, he thought it better not to ask what they'd gotten up to.

"Come along then, we should probably do a full body scan on all three of you..." he started while leading them into another section of his lab.

Moments later a loud explosion was heard in a different side of the complex followed by a roar of, "WWWWWOOOOOMMMMMMMAAAAAANNNNN!"

A fuming Vegeta emerged from a smoking gravity chamber with his clothes and hair soaked with a neon green substance, nearly causing Bulma, Eighteen, and Mrs. Briefs to die from laughter at the sight of him.

_***** Supreme Kai's Planet: Eight Days before the Cell Games *****_

"It's no use. No mere mortal could possibly possess the capability to remove the Z-sword." declared Kibito.

"HUUAAAHH!" grunted Seventeen as he gave one more yank and failed spectacularly. The black haired android tripped and stumbled backwards, landing onto his head.

"I hate you." grumbled Seventeen as Kibito gave him a smug grin.

"Well, you did say no mere mortal could do it. I definitely qualify as no mere mortal." proudly stated Naruto as he stepped up to the embedded blade. The blond spit on his palms before rubbing them together and grabbing a hold of the sword. His aura flared around him as he yanked on the sword, and it didn't even move an inch.

"It's no use. You should just give up." admonished Kibito.

"Sorry, I don't speak loser." growled Naruto as he summoned even more strength. Despite all his efforts the sword wasn't budging.

The Supreme Kai let out a sigh of disappointment, "Perhaps it was not meant to be."

"I'm not done just yet!" bellowed the blond. A shadow clone that just finished shifted into sage mode dispersed, flooding Naruto's body with the boost of power. Almost as soon as the energy poured into his body, the blade shockingly absorbed some of the chakra as well. The rock containing the sword quickly started to give way, as the sword cut itself free, like a hot knife going through butter.

"Impossible! The Z-sword is free!" exclaimed Kibito in disbelief.

And Naruto wasn't done surprising them yet. The blond suddenly hefted the blade above his head and the blade glowed with a bright white light before releasing a massive column of green energy straight up into the air. Energy continued to pour out of the blade for nearly half a minute. White surges of electricity crackled around the blast until it eventually died down, leaving a person sized, elliptically shaped blue orb of energy behind. The orb floated down to a patch of grass behind them. It fluctuated for a few seconds before emitting a blinding flash of light. Once the light died down and everyone's vision returned, they looked down to find an old man in place of the orb. The strange man possessed an eerie resemblance to the Supreme Kai, as if he was his grandfather.

They all just stared at the old man in shock until he suddenly pointed an accusing finger at them, "Hey! You young whipper snappers get off my lawn!"

The four of them all face-vaulted as the old man started roaring with laughter, "Gets them every time! Ah! Much better being out of that cramped old sword."

"But you just came from the sword, that shouldn't be possible!" exclaimed Kibito.

"Who are you? How did you get inside the sword?" yelled the Supreme Kai.

"I'm no genie, that's for sure! Haha! Just take a look at the clothes, the earrings, and the dashing good looks, why I'm just an older version of you! A Kai, about fifteen generations your senior to be precise." declared the now identified elder Kai.

"WHAT! A KAI!" exclaimed the Supreme Kai in shock.

"THERE ARE TWO SUPREME KAI'S!" bellowed Kibito.

The elder Kai waved off their shock, "Yes, yes, now don't be so surprised, surely you know the origins of the sword?"

At the blank looks he received from the four standing in front of him, he elaborated, "No? Well, you see there was once this terrible, evil being who feared my great power. He decided to take out two birds with one stone by sealing me into the Kais' most powerful weapon to stop me and it from be used against him. I've been stuck in the sword, stuck in the mountain ever since."

Seventeen snorted in disbelief, "Great power? An old guy like you couldn't hurt a fly!"

"They're not combat powers! You fool!" roared elder Kai in response.

"Well then, what can you do?" inquired Naruto.

Elder Kai turned away from them indignantly, "Hmph. No reason to share with you ingrates."

"Come on man! The fate of a planet, hell the universe could be at stake!" exclaimed Naruto.

"Not my problem." retorted the elder.

"Probably forgot what his power is anyway..." grumbled Seventeen.

"I HEARD THAT!" yelled elder Kai.

"Let's see... Ah! I've got just the thing!" exclaimed Naruto. "It'll be an even trade. I'll show you my greatest technique, and if you're impressed, you have to tell us about this power of yours."

"Well, you did manage to free the sword, and free me...You've got yourself a deal young man. Let's see it!" exclaimed the Elder Kai with excitement. He then turned to his descendant and gave him a dismissive look, "And I always thought it would be a Kai, who'd free me from the sword. Guess they don't make us like they used to."

As the Supreme Kai moved away to sulk, Naruto jumped into the air, doing a somersault before starting a small chain of hand signs, "Alright then...Behold! The greatest forbidden technique of the Hidden Leaf Village: Lesbian Harem Orgy No Jutsu!"

Right as he announced the technique as large plume of smoke covered the area. All four bystanders were unprepared for the sight they witnessed as the smoke cleared, getting hit by technique full blast. The moans, the writhing bodies, the nubile flesh...it was too much. Instant sensory overload knocked all four unconscious via projectile nosebleed.

"Ero-sennin you were one perverted son of bitch. You still hold the record, twenty-five seconds before knockout. No one will ever come close." stated Naruto in a somewhat reverential tone as he released the technique that even had the power to occasionally take down a fully heterosexual female.

"Maybe, I should have gone with the regular harem no jutsu. That was a bit strong and now I have to wait for them to wake up." said Naruto as he scratched the back of his head. "But I did promise him the best. It was only fair."

It would be almost twenty minutes before the four regained consciousness. Seventeen and the Elder Kai immediately rushed over to Naruto and bowed at his feet, praising him, "I am not worthy!"

Naruto was basking in glory until a loud cough from the Supreme Kai, who seemed to now have a permanent blush, got things back on track.

"What were we doing again?" asked the old Kai.

"I knocked your socks of with my technique, so now you tell us about your power." reminded Naruto.

"Yes, that's right. Well you see I can..." the elder Kai launched into this long winded convoluted explanation that left the four of them staring at him as if he was speaking in tongues.

"Come again?" said Seventeen.

"I can awaken peoples sleeping powers, you idiots!" yelled elder Kai.

"Oh, you can make guys super powerful! I can see why someone would want to seal you away. You could raise an army of super powered guys to take down anyone." surmised Naruto.

"Not exactly, sleeping powers doesn't necessarily equal strength. I just bring out whatever hidden talents a person may have locked away. It could be strength, intelligence, or any other possible hidden inherited traits." explained elder Kai.

"Hidden traits, huh?" murmured Seventeen as he pondered the possibilities.

"Yeah, lets take you for example." he said looking at Seventeen. "You are pretty strong already in terms of power, I wouldn't be able to do much for you there. However, you possess some other suppressed talents."

"What kind?" asked Seventeen.

"No clue." replied the elder Kai, causing everyone to sweat drop.

"What about me?" inquired Naruto.

"Yes...the guy who can wield the Z-sword..." the elder Kai just stared at him for several seconds while scratching his chin. "I can do absolutely nothing with you."

Naruto face-vaulted before jumping up, outraged, "WHAT DO YOU MEAN NOTHING!"

Seventeen rolled around on the ground laughing at his expense.

The elder Kai smacked Naruto across the back of the head, "You don't need me! You've got the Z-sword! It was a powerful weapon before it became my prison. Master the sword and you'll be fine. Sheesh! Kids these days, never wanting to work for anything. Just want someone to come along and awaken their sleeping powers for them. Why in my day..."

As the elder Kai went about explaining about how things went in his day, Naruto and Seventeen tackled more pertinent matters at hand.

"So, what do we do now?" asked Naruto.

"I'm going to let the old geezer awaken, whatever hidden talent I possess. You're screwed, no way you can master that sword in eight days." gloated Seventeen.

"Ha! It's a Kai weapon, with the instructions and some shadow clones, I'll be done before you!" retorted Naruto.

Kibito interrupted them, "There are no instructions for using the Z-sword. The line of Kais who wielded the blade, has long since died out."

"That's not entirely correct. You should consult the Grand Kai." stated the Supreme Kai.

Kibito gave his master a questioning glance, "Sir?"

"It's not a well known fact, but the Grand Kai is the only other person who has ever even be able to move the sword. I believe he possesses the lost knowledge to aid our friend here." informed Supreme Kai. _'I believe he had the capabilities to remove the sword as well, but chose not too. He has always been a mysterious one.'_

"Well, I guess I'm off to visit Grand Kai then." Naruto then gave a look to the elder Kai, who was still going strong in his long winded speech, and snickered. "You do what you gotta do."

The blond patted Seventeen on the shoulder before picking up the Z-sword.

"Man, this thing his heavy." whined Naruto as he hefted the Z-sword over his shoulder before teleporting to the Grand Kai's planet.

Seventeen turned and face-palmed at the sight of the old Kai, who was still rambling on, _'Maybe I would have been better off hanging around to see what the Briefs guy could cook up after he was done with Sixteen.'_

_*****The Grand Kai's Planet: Six Days before the Cell Games*****  
_

Naruto slammed the Z sword into the ground in frustration. The heavily breathing blond let out a roar of frustration, "I don't get it! I can use the sword like a normal sword, but that's it. What's the trick to it? The only the thing this does is suck in sage power! Nothing else! I can't win with this!"

The Grand Kai threw his hands up in exasperation. This would be the twentieth time they'd gone over this, "I told you before, you have make the sword your own."

"HOW!" bellowed Naruto.

King Kai swatted him upside the head with a paper fan, "Don't disrespect the Grand Kai!"

The old hipster tried offering some sage advice to Naruto, "Cool it dude, getting all riled up about this won't help much. This isn't about power, it's about mind. You're a very versatile guy, a man of many skills. The last guy was boring, he just sealed the Old Supreme Kai inside, imprisoned the sword in a rock. A guy with your creativity should be able to do much better. Find a source of inspiration!"

Naruto tuned him out about halfway through as the proverbial light bulb went off in his head. "Sealed him inside the sword..." mumbled Naruto before he suddenly jumped up. "Grand Kai you're a genius! Ero-sennin, it looks like those pain in the ass lessons will come in handy after all. I'll be back in a minute!" declared Naruto as he vanished off to parts unknown.

"Right on dude. North Kai, you should be able to handle things from here. I've got some paper work to blow off." Out of nowhere a boom box appeared in the Grand Kai's hand, blasting music as he danced off to the unknown.

"Handle what exactly?" questioned a dumbfounded King Kai to himself.

_*****The King Kai's Planet: Day of the Cell Games*****_

"We are out of time." commented Sixteen, as he and Seventeen stood around idly.

Seventeen shook his head, "Yeah, we needed to be there like an hour ago."

"This whole plan of his better be worth it!" grumbled King Kai before his antennae perked up as Naruto suddenly appeared with Kibito. The blond was sporting a dark hooded cloak, with a strange animal mask attached to his waste and the Z sword strapped to his back in a sheath.

"Where have you been?" yelled an annoyed Seventeen.

Naruto shrugged, "Sorry I'm late, I got lost on the road of life."

The Sixteen just gave him a blank look, while Seventeen rolled his eyes, "I'm not even going to dignify that with a response. Let's go."

"Wait! You gotta put these on remember. Kibito really came through! Oh, and Kibito make sure to leave the others here after you're done. I don't want them interfering." said Naruto as he passed a pair cloaks and masks to Seventeen and Sixteen.

X-X-x-_Present Time_-x-X-X

"Refusal of surrender is acknowledged. Hostile target acknowledged. Termination Protocol Initiated. Team Kai, green light!" declared Sixteen, as the three jumped into action.

Naruto quickly spawned four copies of himself, all darting off in separate directions where they proceeded to form a vast square perimeter around the battlefield. The bird masked Seventeen slowly moved forward as he performed a barely audible chant while waving his hands in a circular motion. The original Naruto walked forward until he was just inside the perimeter established by his clones. Seventeen continued his chant until he reached just outside the established perimeter. Sixteen spent his time aiding the remaining Z fighters in moving clear of the area. Piccolo, Goku, Vegeta, Eighteen and an unconscious Krillin all were gathered with the bear masked Sixteen behind Seventeen, who was still continuing his chant.

"Who-" started Piccolo in an effort to get some answers, only to be cut off by Sixteen raising his hand to silence him.

"Quiet please. This is a very precarious technique being performed. I don't want anything to upset the process." he commanded.

For the time being, they all swallowed their questions.

_'Phew! Thank god these masks can mask our voices as well.'_ thought Seventeen.

Within minutes the bird masked member of team Kai completed his chant and a bluish-purple energy sprung to life around his hands. Sixteen then made a hand signal to the shadow clones, who all proceeded to pull a single long cylindrical black rod out of their cloaks and jam it into the ground. Seconds after this Seventeen slammed his energy covered palms onto the ground, an enormous cube shaped barrier of bluish-purple energy erected in front of them. Only Cell and the original tiger masked Naruto were contained within. Seventeen took up a meditative position just outside the barrier, while Sixteen ascended up into air around the mid height point of the barrier, surveying the inside of it. Seventeen showed some slight signs of fatigue from his effort exerted in creating the barrier.

"Alright, I have had just about enough. Who the fuck are you people!" demanded Vegeta.

The same one from before spoke, "That will be revealed in time, for now we wish to maintain the element of surprise over Cell."

"Why are you leaving just one guy in to fight him alone?" questioned Eighteen.

"One person must maintain the barrier, and for the captain to fight at his full capabilities I must remain here." he replied.

Vegeta snorted, "No use in questioning this guy anymore, he's not even the damn leader. You've done nothing but buy us some time. Cell is going to wipe the floor with him one-on-one."

_'Stalling for time may be exactly what we need right now.'_ thought Goku as he narrowed his eyes at Cell. _'One way or another Cell, you will pay...'_

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

"It seems our new challenger has trapped Cell along with himself, inside some sort of impenetrable force field. What possible good could come from be enclosed with such a monster? How brave! Hove bold! How daring! How possibly suicidal!" exclaimed the TV announcer. "What do you make of this champ?"

"Yeah, um...this guy is obviously some sort of wrestler and this wall thing here is just for special effects. He's obviously challenging Cell to a tag team cage match with his other masked friends. The limited cage area will let him put on a good show, but I doubt he can win." surmised Hercule.

"Well! There you have it folks! The Cage match of the century, may have just bought us more time for our beloved champion to recover and face Cell at full strength! This mighty masked man's great sacrifice shall not be forgotten! Fight on brave Luchador! Fight on!" cheered the announcer.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

Cell glanced around the now 'caged' battlefield with a incredulous look before turning to Naruto, "You really think this can hold me?"

Naruto strolled up from just inside the barrier to right in front of Cell while whistling absentmindedly. He simply shrugged in response, as if he was inviting Cell to try and escape. The Android darted over to a barrier wall, giving it a close inspection. He picked up a small rock and flicked at the barrier, watching as it bounced away harmlessly. After moving closer and placing his hand against it, Cell hovered back a few feet and fired a blast of energy at it. The barrier wall rippled at the point of impact, before absorbing the energy.

"Interesting, if I were to try and force my way out of here, the barrier would merely absorb my energy and become even stronger." observed Cell. "Bet you were planning on me throwing a big stink and wasting a ton of energy trying to blast my way out here, huh?"

His enemy made no response, seemingly ignoring Cell in favor of inspecting his nails.

Cell frowned at the lack of response, "I guess the best way to get out of here is to simply kill you."

He sweat-dropped as Naruto continued to ignore him. Naruto started moving around bizarrely. He first punched a small hole in the ground before proceeding to perform what appeared to be a ritualistic dance around it.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

Goku, Vegeta, Piccolo, Eighteen, and a reawakened Krillin stared at the sight in front of them with a dumbfounded expressions.

"What the hell is he doing?" blurted Eighteen.

"No idea." calmly replied Seventeen. Inside it was a different story, _'Bastard, will never let me live that down...'_

"This is one of his new pre-fight rituals. He's awakening the spirit of the battlefield to ensure a good fight." declared his Sixteen from up above, causing Seventeen to have to hold back a snort.

Vegeta blurted what everyone else was thinking, "Are you people insane?"

"No more than any of you." chirped Seventeen in response. Vegeta glared at him, knowing there was a smirk plastered across his face despite it being hidden by a mask.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

"I have no time to waste on fools." said Cell as he shook his head in exasperation. He lifted his arm up and fired off an energy blast at Naruto only for him to vanish to another location as he continued to perform his strange dance. Cell's eye twitched in annoyance as he proceeded fire off blast, after blast, after blast, missing every single time. Now just plain pist off, Cell vanished from his location and appeared right in front of Naruto and blasted him in the face from point blank range. As the smoke cleared Cell was satisfied to find no trace of the man left, only to be stunned as a pair of hands emerged from underground and grabbed him by his ankles before yanking him down underground until only his head was exposed. The strange acting Naruto then reappeared right in front of him and patted Cell on the head before he reached into his cloak, pulled out a red colored book, and started reading.

Cell just stared at him, completely befuddled. The Android simply couldn't comprehend the previous sequence of events. This bizarre warrior had just thrown him completely out of whack ever since the barrier was erected.

"Perhaps this one requires a different approach, obviously these bizarre methods are a part of some _very_ unorthodox fighting style." said Cell to himself. Cell summoned forth a quick burst of energy to loosen the earth around him, and emerge from beneath the ground. His opponent paid him no mind, continuing to read his book while letting out giggles at certain parts as Cell hovered in the air above him. Cell sped at him and nailed him with a spinning kick, followed by a barrage of quick strike punches that finished with an uppercut to the chin. Cell then grabbed him by the leg and flung him towards the ground where he nailed him with an energy blast from his mouth. Cell folded his arms across his chest, and a grin stretched across his face as he admired his handiwork. The smoke and debris cleared out from the attack, and revealed his opponent was nowhere to be found. Before the Android could start his trademark condescending laugh, and single hand burst up from beneath the ground followed by another. The masked Naruto effortlessly pulled himself from underground before dusting himself off.

Cell narrowed his eyes at his opponent, _'What will you do you now?'_

The strange man suddenly started waving at Cell, prompting the Android to cock an eyebrow at this turn in behavior when suddenly the cloaked Naruto vanished from sight. Cell's eyes darted around the area as he extended his senses out, trying to find the man, but coming up with absolutely nothing.

_'Where are you...'_ Cell's thoughts were halted by a crushing blow to the right side of his face from a red book that appeared out of nowhere. Before the Android could even register what happened, he was grabbed by his chest and hoisted up by some unseen force. His face became a smacking post for the book as blow after blow proceeded to nail him, knocking his head continuously from side to side. When the assault finally ceased, Cell didn't have anytime to recover. The book pinned to the back of his head and proceeded to smash his face up against the transparent barrier wall facing Goku and company. Cell's face mushed up against the wall as the android cried out in pain.

_**"SAY IT!" **_a booming demonic like voice echoed from seemingly everywhere._**  
**_

"Never!" grunted Cell.

_**"SAY IT!" **_the voice commanded again._**  
**_

"Fuck no!" Cell suddenly extended his tail and it violently struck out into the space behind him. It connected with something, and the masked Naruto became visible again as he went flying back across the battlefield. Cell vanished from his position against the barrier and reappeared right in front of his masked opponent in midair, unleashing a massive blast of energy at point blank range. The attack exploded on impact, causing Cell to start laughing until the smoke dissipated revealing the masked man standing there with a smoking yet unharmed book held up to where he blocked the blast.

"I see. You're much stronger than you've been leading on if you could stop that blast at that range. It still doesn't matter. You don't compare, no one compares to me. I am the perfect weapon!" declared Cell.

His opponent was not paying attention to him, having gone back to reading his book and giggling at seemingly random intervals. After a few moments of silence, he looked back up at Cell, "I'm sorry, did you say something?"

Cell was just about ready to strangle him, "You...you...you imbecile!"

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

"He may not be actually winning this fight, but this is damn entertaining." declared Krillin, enjoying every second of Cell's humiliation.

"He needs to stop screwing around. He's made several openings that he could have exploited, yet he did nothing with them!" grumbled an irritated Piccolo. "This isn't about making Cell look bad, it's about killing him."

"I wouldn't be opposed to both happening." stated Vegeta.

Sixteen interrupted their impending argument.

"It's time!" he declared loudly.

"Time for what?" questioned Krillin.

"The sad end of the Cell we've all come to know and love." sarcastically replied Seventeen.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

The sound of the book snapping shut regathered Cell's attention from his plot to strangle the man in front of him while burning his mask.

"I believe it's time we got started, don't you think?" announced Naruto at Sixteen's call, which was missed by Cell.

Cell raised an eyebrow at him, "After all this, now you intend to fight? You've got to be kidding."

"Who said anything about fighting?" replied Naruto as he withdrew a kunai and slashed it across his right palm. He turned his hand outward as it started to bleed.

Cell stared at him like he was insane, "What? You intend to appease me with a blood offering?"

Naruto grinned as he shook his head, "No, I wouldn't say appease, more like freeze."

The instant the blood touched the ground various lines, patterns, and symbols all over the ground started to illuminate with a bluish white light. Cell found himself in the center of vast ten point sealing array that extended nealry to the barriers surrounding them. As thick chains of dark purple energy emerged from the points of the seal and restrained Cell's body, it finally dawned on the Android that he'd been set up the entire time.

"So it was all an act, just to pull this off?" sneered Cell. "What a waste of time! These pitiful restrictions won't hold me for long."

"Not by themselves, they won't." Naruto replied cryptically.

Suddenly several hidden shadow clones shimmered into view at each point of the seal, plus a pair next to the original. Along with the original, they all removed their masks, however Naruto's identity was still hidden from Cell. Beneath the mask, he sported another black cloth mask that covered everything from just below his eyes. His eyes were hidden by a pair of darkened goggles. The hood pulled up over his head concealed his hair, leaving the only distinguishing mark the horizontal cut in the center of his forehead. However, this was no simple cut as it soon parted to reveal a third eye, the Jagan eye.

**"Kanashibari no Jutsu!"** shouted the clones standing on seal points as a pulse of energy emitted from their Jagan eyes. Cell ceased his struggles against the restraints and his body went limp.

"My Jagan eye, plus the seal initiation should cover it." gloated Naruto.

Unfortunately for him, the paralysis did not extend to Cell's vocal cords.

"What have you done to me! Who are you!" snarled the Android.

"Ah yes! You still don't remember. This third eye, my Jagan eye, has many talents. Perhaps I should enlighten you..." with his back to the spectators the original Naruto momentarily lowered his face mask.

"YOU!" screamed Cell, before Naruto's Jagan eye suddenly pulsed with energy.

It was as if a damn in Cell's mind crumbled, and all these memories hidden away came flooding back to Cell: his attempts to control chakra, his meeting the fox, his deal with the fox, Naruto seizing control of his body temporarily so the trio could escape, and his memories being wiped away. Cell was in a trance as all the images flashed through his mind, all with a silhouette of the Jagan Eye behind them.

"This must have been what Itachi felt like, when he mind raped someone." joked a clone, causing the original and the other clones to chuckle.

With Cell occupied by his brain overload, one of the free clones took the opportunity to unseal a paint brush and some ink from a scroll hidden in his cloak. He marched up to Cell and proceeded painted several markings and symbols onto to Cell's chest. The second clone had taken a meditative position on the ground, while the original Naruto started powering up, unleashing the gates and tapping into to Kaioken more fluidly than in his previous ascension to ascended sage mode. By the time the clone finished his making seals on Cell's body, the Android was coming out of his trance.

The clone executed a short chain of hand signs before announcing, **"Soul Anchor Seal: Fuin!"**

Cell cried out in pain as the black marks around his body turned red and shifted into a circular pattern around his chest before fading into his skin. Once he fully came back to the land of living, Cell was rewarded with sight of the last free clone dispersing and the original gaining ascended sage form.

"All of this so you could do that little power up? You are only moderately stronger than you were when you fought my previous form." snarled Cell. "Once I'm free, I will crush you!"

"I'm not here to fight, I'm just putting the finishing touches on my kick ass sword." stated Naruto nonchalantly as he started blurring through a chain of about two hundred and fifty hand seals. "Gero should have learned not to leave his toys just lying around anywhere, they might get stolen! Or worse! Like when baa-chan would stumble upon some of Ero-sennin's research."

This elicited another round of chuckles from his clones.

"You resort to this sorcery to take me down? Can't handle me in a real fight, can you? You're nothing but a sniveling coward!" taunted Cell.

"Who has two thumbs and doesn't give a crap? Naruto Uzumaki, nice to meet ya!" retorted Naruto. "I thought you'd like to know, that Gohan and Trunks are very much alive. Your reign of terror, death and the rest of this whole Cell games bullshit? A total flop! Since I've got you handcuffed now, this more like that awesome Earth show Cops."

"Boss! We gotta do the cops song!" shouted one of his clones.

"Yeah! Come on!" yelled another.

"Fine, fine." relented Naruto as he summoned another clone, who busted out with a giant boom box from out of nowhere. He hit play and the instrumental to the Cops theme started as Naruto and the clones sang:

Bad Droids  
Whatcha want, watcha want?  
Whatcha gonna do?  
When Team Kai done come for you!  
Tell me!  
Whatcha gonna do? Whatcha gonna do-oh!  
Yeaheah!

Bad Droids! Bad Droids!  
Whatcha gonna do?  
Whatcha gonna do when we come for you!  
Bad Droids! Bad Droids!  
Whatcha gonna do?  
Whatcha gonna do when we come for you!

Nobody nos duce mackin new way  
Police nah eh yeah hey hay-eh

Naruto face-palmed as his clones continued to make up stuff that sounded like the song, "I gotta learn the damn words to that part..."

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

Piccolo had a look on his face that just screamed, 'What the fuck is going on here?'

Vegeta's looked like his head was about to explode, "This...is by far...the most ridiculous thing...I have ever seen."

To preserve her sanity, Eighteen's mind had drifted on into it's own safe place.

Goku and Krillin were bobbing their heads while singing along with the clones.

Sixteen and Seventeen were barely managing to maintain their composure and not burst out in laughter at the entire scene.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

"Fool! I can feel the power of the restraints slipping! Your demise will soon be at hand!" bellowed Cell. The Android was correct in some respect, the paralysis inflicted by the shadow clones using the Jagan was starting to wear off. Cell had regained some movement in his upper body.

"Yes, this would normally be the part where I prepare the finishing move and right as you break free, I unleash my trump card. In some long drawn out struggle, the fate of the universe is decided. Yeah, that's a load of bullshit right there. This is done." Naruto finished the chain of hand seals and suddenly the tips of all ten of his fingers became covered in a dark blue energy with illuminated symbols in the center, each hand mirroring each other. He summoned a clone into existence behind him which withdrew the Z-sword from it's sheath and marched over to Cell and stabbed the sword right through the center of his chest into the ground. The pinned down Android cried out in pain from the strike, but had no time to recover. The clone dispersed as the original appeared in his spot, grasping the hilt with his glowing hands.

"Congratulations Cell, champion of the Cell games! Your reward? Getting sealed into my old school sword! Juugyu Fuin!" declared Naruto as the clones around the giant seal on the ground dispersed and the seal and the sword glowed with a bright light as the entire area within the barrier became enveloped in a swirling torrent of energy.

"No! You can't do this to me!" cried out Cell, but soon only his screams could be heard as his body glowed with a bright blue light before vanishing, being sucked into the Z-sword.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

Still watching from a safe distance, Hercule and his entourage couldn't believe what they were seeing.

"I don't believe it! It's a miracle! This man has actually done it! Cell's been defeated!" exclaimed the announcer.

"No way! It was all a trick I tell you! Special Effects! Someday I'll bring it all to light!" yelled Hercule, still a non-believer.

The cameraman shook his head at him, "You can't be serious."

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

As the light emitting from the swirling vortex of energy faded, so did Cell's screams until all that could be heard was the dull humming of the glowing sword. It pulsed several times until the glowing subsided. The seal on the ground was gone, all that remained was a giant crater with the sword embedded in the center. Naruto strolled forward and clasped the hilt of the blade with his right hand. Post sealing, hilt of the sword had changed to black with a dark green trim along ten small red seal symbols engraved in the top of the hilt near the blade. Naruto pulled it out the ground and performed a few experimental slashes.

Out of nowhere he then thrust the sword straight up into the air shouting, "I HAVE THE POWER!"

Thunder and lightning echoed across the sky as a short burst of energy shot forth from the blade into the sky.

"That was awesome!" yelled Naruto as jumped into the air pumping his fist, causing everyone still watching him to sweat-drop.

He then twirled the Z sword in the air before deftly sliding it into the sheath on his back. As he turned around to walk back towards his awaiting comrades, the barrier separating them shattered as Seventeen released his technique. Several steps later he arrived in front of the remaining Z fighters standing with Sixteen and Seventeen. With his ANBU style tiger mask hiding his face again, Sixteen and Seventeen joined him side by side. Several seconds of silence ensued, as the two factions simply stared at each other. Just as Krillin had enough of the awkward silence, Goku stepped forward.

"That was something else." he stated while stretching his hand out towards Naruto.

As Naruto stretched his hand forward a smirk formed on Piccolo's face as he added, "Yeah, that was quite the show...Naruto."

Naruto hands stop as he paused and then suddenly fell backwards, flat on his ass.

"Damn! That fucking seal job zapped all my energy." he groaned. "What gave me away?"

Vegeta snorted, "No one else but you and these two tin cans would even attempt pull of something so utterly ridiculous and shameful."

"I think that was Vegeta code for thanks for saving our asses." joked Krillin.

"Watch it cue ball." growled Vegeta.

Eighteen leaned over Naruto, "All that and you can't even move."

"Nope!" replied Naruto nonchalantly.

"Oi! Someone needs to zip over to King Kai's to pick up Trunks and the other guys." advised Naruto.

"I'm on it. Let's all meet up at the lookout." replied Goku before he lifted his fingers and teleported away.

"Well, let's get a move on." stated Piccolo as they all moved to fly off.

"Hey! A little help here!" whined Naruto as they left him behind. "Save all your asses, and this is the thanks I get. Fine then, screw you guys! Next time, you're on your own!"

* * *

_**Seemingly out of nowhere, the terror known as Cell has been dealt with both swiftly and ruthlessly, closing the final chapter of the war against Dr. Gero. What now lies ahead for Team Kai and Team Z in the aftermath of the Cell games? Only one way to find out, checkout the next edition of Ninja of the Kais!**_

A/N: Bet you guys didn't see that coming! Probably not nearly as dramatic, as you would expect for a major fight conclusion, but that's because Naruto didn't fuck around with this like the other fighters. For all you who were worried/complaining about Naruto not getting enough time previously, this was my envisioned plan all along to bring him back to conclude the fight. But to satisfy you readers love for Naruto face time, I created the entire time line retrace that started the chapter. That's your reviews at work folks! That's all I got. Been working on this primarily since the holiday break, so time to invest some time in my other fics when I'm slacking/procrastinating from school. Now, just go ahead and hit that review button. Do it! Come on! Click it! It's good for the soul! _  
_


	20. Team Kai Presents: The Aftermath

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything..._yet_

* * *

**Team Kai Presents: The Aftermath  
**

Goku nearly face-vaulted at the sight he arrived to on King Kai's planet. He'd caught his son, teacher, and friends in the midst of a game of Monopoly: Other World Version.

"Come on..." muttered Yamcha as he rolled the dice. "Alright Nine! Let's go! Sweet! Chance card! Let's see! Let's see! Awww Man! Do not pass the check out station, do not meet with King Yemma, go straight to HFIL? What gives man, that's the third freaking time! This game is rigged!"

"No, your luck with games is just as bad as your luck with women." mocked Tien, eliciting a round of snickers from Gohan, Trunks, Bubbles, and King Kai.

"Did I miss something..." mumbled Goku as he scratched the back of his head.

Gohan finally noticed his father's presence, "Oh, hey Dad! You want to play?"

His answer was a loud growl of Goku's stomach.

"I guess not." said a snickering Trunks. "We better go before he get's desperate."

"Goku! Those clouds aren't food!" shouted King Kai.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

After claiming a victory of epic proportions and then being deserted by one's comrades, a multitude of conflicting emotions could be expected to flash through a warriors mind. And then there's Naruto Uzumaki, _'Miso, Pork, Chicken, Beef, then Veggie. No, wait! Shrimp, Pork, Veggie, Beef, Pork again, then Chicken. Nah, that's not right either. How about Veggie, Chicken, Shrimp, Chicken, Beef, Veggie, and Miso. Maybe, but I could also go Plain, then Deluxe, then a double Uzumaki special with Miso on the side. So many opening combinations, which is the one!'_

The blond had yet to even try and move an inch from his position and it didn't look like he was going anywhere anytime soon.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

As the collection of Z-fighters continued making their way to the lookout, Krillin took it upon himself to ask the obvious question.

"Isn't somebody going to go back and get him?" asked Krillin.

Seventeen waved off Krillin's concern, "He was faking it."

Krillin shrugged, "Oh, well then carry on."

_'Prank war, back on.'_ thought Seventeen as he laughed inwardly.

Unfortunately, Eighteen caught the gleam in his eye.

"Moron." she muttered while taking off back in opposite direction.

"What was that about?" asked Tien.

Seventeen shrugged, "So, maybe he wasn't faking it."

Vegeta smirked in approval, "That's the spirit."

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

Hercule slowly crept over to where Naruto lay, the cameraman and TV announcer right on his heels. His entourage of fellow fighters and female supporters kept their distance, still scared shit-less from what they'd seen earlier. Hercule and the TV announcer crouched down over Naruto's body, staring down at him with curious faces as the cameraman zoomed in on them.

"Is he dead?" asked one of Hercule's entourage.

"Can't tell with this mask in the way..." said Hercule as he hesitantly reached down to remove the mask. Just as he fingertips reached the edge of it, Naruto's fist shot up into his gut and sent him flying. The world champ hit the ground hard and tumbled along before coming to a rest upside down on a large rock. "He's alive." muttered Hercule giving a thumbs before collapsing against the stone.

"Sir, can you tell us what just happened here!" demanded the TV announcer thrusting the microphone into Naruto's face.

"Yeah, Cell got his ass whooped." answered Naruto.

"Can you tell us how it happened?" the man asked again.

"Next question." answered Naruto.

"What about your name?" he inquired.

"Next question." replied Naruto.

"Sir, the world has a right now what happened here today!" he declared.

Naruto snorted, "And as you can see, I can barely fucking move right now! So I don't give a damn!"

The man continued his questioning undeterred, determined to badger the masked Naruto into submission, "Who are you? Are you with the government? Who were those other men here today? What are the true origins of Cell? Why did you arrive so late into the battle? Why are you hiding behind that mask?"

Naruto shifted tactics, "Your wife's new boy-toy. Yes, I'm a government sanctioned man-whore. Your mom's boy-toys. A crossbreed between a lizard, a jellyfish, and a monkey's anus. Your wife likes to cuddle afterward. Your daughter likes to cosplay for foreplay, and she's my next appointment."

The TV announcer's face turned red as the cameraman was unable to hold back his laughter.

"And here's my ride!" shouted Naruto as Eighteen flew in from above.

The man quickly rushed over towards Eighteen, thrusting the microphone into her face right as she landed, "Who are you? Where are you taking him? What happened here today? The world has a right to know!"

"I'm his girlfriend, we're taking off to a remote island with your wife and daughter for a little 'after-party', and I wasn't really paying attention." said an annoyed Eighteen as brushed past the man, knocking him aside before hefting Naruto over her shoulder. In a flash she took back off to the skies, ignoring the rants of the angry reporter wanna-be.

"Thanks for the lift." said Naruto with sigh.

Eighteen shrugged, "Now we're even."

_'Even for what?'_ thought a clueless Naruto. "Awesome. So, where we going?"

"Back to that lookout place with the rest of the great brain trust." deadpanned Eighteen.

After a few seconds of awkward silence, a completely random idea popped into Naruto's head, "Total shot in the dark here, but you wanna go on vacation?"

Eighteen halted in the air and shifted his body back down in front of her so they were face to face. After removing his ANBU mask and goggles, she narrowed her eyes at him, "Go on vacation?"

Naruto completely oblivious to her implications behind the question, continued on, "Yeah, I've never been on a vacation before. And it looks fun beaches, high class hotels, snow resorts, and all sorts of stuff. So a couple weeks ago I thought it would be cool to go on this really, really, really, really, really, really..."

"Hey!" yelled Eighteen as she shook him.

"Sorry, sometimes my brain gets stuck." said Naruto. "Where was I? Oh yeah, really, long, long, long, long, long, long..."

"Come on..." sighed Eighteen as she shook him again. _'Somebody has taken way too many shots to the head over the years.'_

"Sorry. Long world wide vacation after this Cell business was over width. Then it just dawned on me that going on vacation by myself would be both boring and pathetic. And it's not like you've got anything better to do."

_'So he's not a pig, he's just dense.' _thought Eighteen before another thought popped into her head. "Where did you get the money to go on that kind of vacation?"

Naruto shrugged, "Dr. Gero's lab."

Eighteen glared at him.

"Hey, you guys bailed on the place. Finders keepers." defended Naruto.

She continued to glare at him.

"You get a cut of the rest and Seventeen hears nothing about this, take it or leave it." offered Naruto.

She patted him on the head, "Good boy."

"Awesome, I'm going to pass out now." said Naruto as he collapsed into her arms, snuggling into her chest as he did so.

"Guess he's not as dense as he looks." muttered a rosy cheeked Eighteen. "I guess, you need to be healed first."

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

"Over here!" shouted Dende. "I should be able to fix him up."

Eighteen landed in front of the earth's new guardian, laying Naruto down on the ground in front of him. As the healer got to work, Seventeen strolled up to his sister with a grin on his face.

"So, have some quality time with your boyfriend?" he teased.

Eighteen raised an eyebrow at her brother, "What are you jealous or something? It makes sense, you were always Gero's favorite..."

Suddenly every male in the vicinity took a giant step away from Seventeen.

"No worries guys, deep down he's another Roshi in the making." stated a fully recovered Naruto as he stood up.

"Yeah, I had this epic nosebleed the other day when I say all those naked girls rubbing up against each other...and kissing each other and..." Seventeen didn't notice everyone backing away from him to another part of the look out until it was too late. Eighteen gave no warning when she started unleashing righteous feminine fury on her brother.

"Too easy." snickered Naruto as Yamcha gave him a low five.

Vegeta shook his head, "Classic rookie mistake."

"You never, ever, brag about your level of perversion when a female is present." scolded Yamcha.

Krillin let out a chuckle, "I still can't believe we all survived that. I figured at least one of us would have kicked the bucket for sure."

"It was nice to finally have someone pull a fast one on Cell. After all the cheap tricks he pulled, we still got the last laugh." added Piccolo.

"That doesn't even count as a win." grunted Vegeta.

Trunks gave him a look as if he was insane, "What the hell are you talking about?

"After all the time we spent trying to kill that thing, he sealed him in sword! It's just insane! That's not victory! Who in the hell does that?" ranted Vegeta.

Naruto merely smirked at him, "Who has two thumbs and doesn't give a crap? Naruto Uzumaki, I thought we'd met?"

"Enough bickering! It's time to summon the dragon." commanded Piccolo.

"Yes, I have the dragonballs right here." stated Mr. Popo as he emerged from the interior of the lookout. He brought them over to Dende and placed the balls in front of him. Dende outstretched his arm over the seven balls as they started to glow.

"Eternal Dragon, by your name, I summon you forth: Shenron!" commanded Dende.

The sky darkened and lightening flashed across the sky per usual when the dragon was summoned. A bright yellow light shot up from the dragon balls and from it Shenron phased into view. For the veterans, this was a sight for sore eyes.

"Man this never gets old." said Yamcha.

"You can say that again." added Krillin.

"Whoa..." Naruto had stars in his eyes as he stared up at Shenron.

"This! is! awesome!" yelled Seventeen, his eyes mimicking Naruto's.

"I know!" added Goku, he too with stars in his eyes.

"Goku! Stop acting like you've never seen the dragon before!" chided Krillin.

"But's it's been so long! I forgot how great it was!" exclaimed Goku.

"Dorks..." muttered Eighteen under her breath.

_**"You have awakened me from my slumber."**_ announced Shenron in his booming voice. _**"As reward for collecting the seven dragonballs, I will grant you two wishes within my power. What is your first wish?"**_

"Please bring all the people killed by the one known as Cell back to life." stated Dende.

Shenron's eyes glowed red momentarily before returning to their normal color, _**"It has been done. What is your second wish?"**_

It then dawned on them that currently they had no use for a second wish.

"Anybody have a good second wish?" asked Yamcha.

"No, not really." replied Krillin.

"Yeah, I've got nothing." added Trunks.

"I'm waiting..." stated an annoyed Shenron.

"All the trouble to improve the dragonballs by Dende and we don't even have a second wish." grumbled Piccolo.

"Can't we save it for some other time, just in case? " questioned Gohan.

"Shenron, we don't have any other wishes. You can return." announced Dende.

_**"That is fine. The balls will fully recharge in four months, after that you can use them for one wish. Farewell!"**_ declared Shenron, as his body glowed before vanishing. The dragonballs all levitated into the air, turning to stone before scattering across the earth. Gohan leaped up and caught the four-star ball before it had a chance to fly away.

With Shenron gone, Naruto and Seventeen finally came out of their state of shock and awe.

"Hey where'd he go?" asked Naruto as he and Seventeen looked around frantically. Everyone sweat-dropped at the idiocy of the duo.

"These are the guys that saved the earth? You've got to be kidding me." muttered Piccolo.

"Dad, I think we need to step up our training." stated befuddled Gohan.

Goku nodded in agreement, "Yeah."

"Awww, man! I should have asked for a dragon summoning contract! I could have wished for lifetime supply of ramen, or even ramen coupons. Hell, I could have wished for Ichiraku ramen! Dammit!" ranted Naruto.

Seventeen snorted, "Ramen? Is that all you have on the brain?"

"Ramen, women, training, and pranks." rattled off Naruto. "I usually have clones floating around so we can divide up the brain work."

"I can see why." said Eighteen.

"Yeah...Hey!" shouted Naruto.

"So, what now?" questioned Goku.

"We all go back to my house?" suggested Trunks.

Naruto momentarily paled before grabbing Eighteen by the arm and hightailing it out of there.

"Yeah, good luck with that! We'll do lunch soon! Probably in other world! See ya!" said Naruto before the two blonds vanished in a flash.

"What was that all about?" questioned Tien.

Seventeen shrugged, "Who knows?"

"Aren't you pissed about him running off with your sister?" asked Yamcha.

Seventeen raised an eyebrow at him, "Do you know how hard it is to pick up women, when your sister purposefully drives them away for her own amusement? And this was before being turned into a cyborg against my will."

"Wow! I guess you have a lot of time to make up for." replied Yamcha with a grin.

Seventeen gave a wistful look towards the edge of the lookout, "If he solves that problem for me permanently, I will buy him all the ramen he can eat for the rest of his life."

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

Naruto randomly stood up in the passenger seat of a convertible and declared, "Something, awesome just happened!"

Eighteen turned and gave him a weird look, "Don't get too far ahead yourself there buddy."

Naruto's attention quickly shifted to the bright shiny sign they just passed by and yelled, "Wooowhooo! Viva Las Mujicas!"

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

Suddenly Krillin looked like he was going to be sick, "Oh, man."

"What's wrong buddy?" asked Yamcha.

"Bulma and Chi-Chi!" gasped Krillin, nearly hyperventilating.

"What about them?" asked Yamcha again, clearly not getting it.

Tien did get it, and suddenly paled as he sunk to his knees, "They're going to kill us all! We almost got Gohan and Trunks killed! And they saw the whole thing!"

Goku and Vegeta simultaneously took their sons aside and said, "Son, you're going to have to be the man of the house now because as soon as we get home, your mother's gonna kill me."

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

Eighteen relished the feel of the wind blowing in her hair as she zoomed through the streets in the convertible.

"This is what I call driving!" she exclaimed. The blond couldn't believe she let her brother, chose a delivery van back then, let alone let him drive. That boring trip nearly disillusioned from the idea of ever driving again.

"Fat man! 50 points! This is my town! Hahahaha!" from the passenger seat Naruto was having a ball tagging pedestrians with paint bombs and water balloons.

A few blocks later Eighteen was forced to come to a stop due to a slow moving train crossing the road.

"Come on, come on..." she whispered to herself, subconsciously revving the engine. Before Naruto could take aim at the train, a dark skinned man with dreadlocks in an dark blue pickup pulled up to a stop in the lane next to him. He had the window rolled down and smoke was pouring out of it.

"Nice ride man!" he yelled to Naruto in a thick Jamaican accent.

"Yeah, it's pretty nice." responded Naruto.

"Wasn't talking about the car man!" he replied, giving a glance at an oblivious Eighteen.

A grin spread across Naruto's face as he unknowingly imitated the man's accent, "Yah man!"

"First time in Las Mujicas?" he asked.

"Yeah, I'm gonna go nuts on this place." declared Naruto with smirk.

"Then have a good time on me, man!" said the Jamaican as he tossed him a bag of sticky-icky.

"What's going on here?" A cop on a motor-bike pulled up between the two cars.

"Hey! It's just O'dweeds man!" said the Jamaican with grin as he took a puff of the blunt in his hand while holding up a bag of O'dweeds.

The cop's eyes lit up, "O'dweeds? Let me get a hit of that shit!"

The Jamaican passed him the blunt, allowing him to take a hit, "Oh, man. Same chronic taste!"

The cop didn't notice that the train had just finished passing by at the moment.

"Wrong bag man!" yelled Jamiacan, waving a bag of regular sticky at the cop as the two cars sped off.

"This place is awesome!" declared Naruto as he tucked the bag into his pocket.

"Yeah, it is!" yelled Eighteen as she floored it.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

A dozen minutes later Eighteen turned into the parking garage of their chosen hotel. Seeing a spot close to the front on the first level, Eighteen duck-tailed around a corner going down an isle the wrong way before sliding around another corner past a large black SUV that had been waiting and sliding into the spot.

A huge bald headed man jumped out the SUV, nearly foaming at the mouth, "What the hell you bitch! That was my fucking spot! Move your ass, now bitch!"

Eighteen rolled her eyes as she stepped out of the car, "This is a compact space, the truck of yours wouldn't have fit here anyway."

"Oh yeah!" yelled Naruto, completely oblivious to to everything around him. He was too pumped up about all the crazy shit they were about to get into.

The guy's head nearly exploded, "Are you fucking deaf? I said move bitch! Get out of my fucking spot!"

Eighteen eyebrow twitched, "Call me a bitch one more time..."

"Move bitch! Get out the way!" bellowed the man.

The guy didn't even know what hit him, one minute he's yelling at this crazy bitch for taking his spot, the next he's pinned to wall by what appears to be ninja stars with this blond guy all up in his face.

"Wooooo! Yeeaaahh! Come on man let's go! You wanna go let's go! I'm all hopped up on Mountain Dew! I'm gonna come at you like a spider monkey! Let's go!" yelled Naruto.

"I'm done here. Let's go." called out Eighteen.

Naruto stepped back and the guy almost pissed his pants before proceeding to faint. Where his car used to be, was just a pill of scrap metal with four tires stacked on top of it.

Naruto let out a whistle, "And I thought ChiChi was scary."

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

The woman in a gray business suit behind the desk slipped the receipt into the brochure along with the room keys and credit card before handing them to Naruto.

"Welcome to Imperial Zulu Hotel and Casino, I hope you have a pleasant stay with us. Anything else I can help you with?" asked the concierge.

"Any nice places around here to eat?" asked Eighteen.

"The hotel restaurant is always a quality option, but if you'd like, I can arrange reservations at _La Plura de Li_. It's just across the street, and a favorite dining spot of our more _exclusive_ clientele." she suggested. "That black card of yours is the only way to get in the door."

"Well, I've never had the privilege of dining at a fine restaurant before. What do you think?" asked Eighteen.

Naruto nodded, "They do it in the movies, Why not?"

"Oh, excellent!" exclaimed the concierge. "There is a dress code, so I'll send someone to meet you up at your room and provide you with our in-house options of formal wear."

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

The two blonds later quickly figured out why people _only _seem to frequent high class restaurants in the movies or if their names were Douche D. Douche-bag, Esquire. At their table Eighteen raised an eyebrow at Naruto, who was carrying out an intense battle between the fish and vegetables on his plate.

_'What a goof, but I can't really blame him. Watching paint dry would be better than sitting in this place.'_ thought Eighteen.

"This is boring." groaned Eighteen as she ran her hands over her face.

Naruto dropped his fork onto the plate with his food, "Thank Kami. I thought it was just me. The food sucks too. Casinos?"

"Casinos." affirmed Eighteen as Naruto dropped some Zeni on the table and the two rushed out of the restaurant in blur. Everyone else in the restaurant just looked around with puzzled looks on their faces. One moment this nice blond couple was sitting in their seats at the best table in the establishment, the next they were gone.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

An hour and a half later, Eighteen could be found at high stakes poker table of the Tenpaku Resort and Casino. To Naruto's chagrin the entire Casino had been bought out for some sort of Woman's convention. There was only one way for him to get inside.

"Otaru, these drinks aren't and going to refill themselves." chided Eighteen as she folded her hand.

"Right away, Madam." said Naruto as he bowed and picked up the trey of empty drinks before turning and walking away.

"What are you standing their for, Kento? We need more appetizers too! Chop! Chop!" exclaimed the Blue haired woman seated to left of Eighteen, sending the man who had been standing next to Naruto and snickering at his misfortune, scurrying after him. "It's so hard to find good personal attendants these days. You're lucky."

"Oh yes, he's so well behaved. And cute too!" giggled the red haired woman to her right.

A grin spread across the blue haired lady's face, "Mind if I borrow, him from you?"

"No way, I saw him first!" yelled the redhead.

"Sorry girls, he's not for sale." chided Eighteen with a smirk.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

_(3 Hours Later- The Ice Palace Casino Pit)_

"Seven, Winner!" announced the hostess at the craps table, sending the crowd around the table into a frenzy. In the middle of it all was Naruto, cigar hanging out his mouth and dressed in a pair of dark blue slacks with suspenders, a crimson tie, and a hat. Eighteen hung off his shoulder dressed in a beautiful black cocktail dress.

"This is some kind of hot streak!" yelled a guy from across the table.

"You aint seen nothing yet, I'm just getting started! WOOO!" exclaimed Naruto as he swatted Eighteen on the ass.

_'You are so going to pay for that later...'_ thought Eighteen.

As if reading her mind, Naruto sent her back a look that said, 'No way. This is payback from earlier.'

The blond woman had conveniently forgotten allowing her table mates at Tenpaku to fondle his ass in exchange for drinks and extra poker chips.

"Hit me!" declared Naruto as held his hand up to Eighteen. His fellow blond kissed the top of his hand before flipping it over and blowing on the dice in them for luck.

"Come on now, Papa needs a new set a kunai!" Naruto flung the dice across the table and they came up three and four.

"Seven, Winner!" announced the game hostess as she raked in the dice. The crowd around the table went nuts at his annoucement.

"Now that's what I'm talking about!" exclaimed Naruto as he held his palms out to the side, where the girls next to Eighteen started pecking at his palms with their hands. "Now give me some hungry chicken! Hungrier! Yeeeaaahhh! Now that's what I'm talking about!"

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

A few days had past since the Cell games. The rest of the Z crew was gathered for lunch at capsule corp. Their victory celebration was still going quite strong, everyone hanging around and having a good time. As Bulma turned on the television to ZTV, everyone was stunned to find the station showing a press conference and rally for Hercule in celebration of his defeat of Cell. Goku was so shocked he even stopped eating.

"I know nobody wants to deal with the fallout from having people know it was us who fought Cell, but something tells me letting him take all the credit is a bad idea." stated Goku.

"Not only is he to thank for defeating that horrible monster, but all the people killed by Cell have returned to life! This miracle is a result of the valiant effort of our beloved hero!" declared the TV announcer.

"HERCULE! HERCULE! HERCULE! HERCULE! HERCULE!..." chanted the crowd in response.

"Mr. Satan, tell us once again how you came out on top!" yelled someone from the crowd.

Hercule adjusted his collar as he took the microphone, "Well you see, once I was healed up I marched right up to that big green bug and told him, 'Now you listen here Mr. Ugly! I've had it with all your light shows and tricks! This isn't a magic show! It's a fight! You and me right now!' Then I charged him and nailed him in the face with my newest attack, the Ultra Megaton Punch! It's twice as strong as my old Megaton Punch. Cell didn't stand a chance! Got destroyed by one blow! Oh yeah! He couldn't handle the champ!"

"HERCULE! HERCULE! HERCULE! HERCULE! HERCULE!..." roared the crowd.

"Hey! What about those masked wrestlers! And the gold fighters?" demanded a disbelieving reporter.

"Well, I thanked the masked Wrestlers for putting on a good show and giving me enough time to heal. Those golden dudes congratulated me on winning where they failed and they all went home." replied Hercule nervously.

"That's it, bad Afro is going down." stated Seventeen as he stood up.

"Get in line!" bellowed Vegeta as he stood by the open window, a ball of energy already in hand to blast the location of the rally to smithereens.

"We can't kill the fool. We should just torture him until he confesses how he faked an injury and hid like a coward." suggested Piccolo.

Vegeta pulled his hand back inside, "Not bad Namek, not bad."

"Nobody here is going to torture, or kill anybody!" yelled Bulma.

"You're right about that nobody here thing, Naruto's got it covered." said Trunks, directing everyone's attention back to the TV.

X-X-X-X-X-Minutes Earlier-X-X-X-X-X

Naruto let out a satisfied moan into the pillow beneath his head. The shirtless blond laid face down on the cushy hotel mattress with a barefoot Eighteen, clad in a tank top and a pair of shorts, standing on his back. She held a instruction book in on massages in hand, guiding her as she worked her feet on Naruto's lower back, causing him to let out another moan.

"And you said I couldn't learn it in under an hour." she said as she snapped the book shut and used the remote in her other hand to turn on TV. As she started working on Naruto's upper back, Eighteen flipped through the channels, stopping as she landed on ZTV and the Hercule rally. Naruto looked up at the sound of Hercules voice and after hearing a few of his remarks, moved to teleport, only to be stopped by Eighteen.

"You're about to go on national television. You should at least put a shirt on first." she reminded him as if she was talking to a child.

"Good call." replied a blushing Naruto as he moved to grab a shirt. "Probably should use the masks too..."

X-X-X-X-X-Current Time-X-X-X-X-X

"Oh yeah! I'm the man!" exclaimed Hercule as he basked in the praising of the crowd.

"You're full of crap!" bellowed Naruto.

Everyone turned to face Naruto, back in his ANBU Mask, and Eighteen.

"YOU!" yelled a panicking Hercule.

"Who are you!" demanded a female reporter.

"Who I am? I am the leader of the most elite fighting force in the universe! I am-" right before Naruto was about to start a ridiculous introductory dance, Eighteen elbowed him in the ribs. "Captain Kai." he coughed out while stepping up to the main podium, shoving Hercule out of the way. "And the other two masked men were the other two members my team, Team Kai."

"What exactly is this, Team Kai?" questioned another reporter.

"We are Earth's last line of defense, the best of the best of the best." answered Naruto.

Another female reporter jumped in, "What about that other group, the gold fighters? Are they apart of Team Kai too?"

"No, they are the second to last line of defense, the best of the best of the rest. They are Earth's Special Forces: Team Z." replied Naruto.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

"The best of the rest? Who in the hell does he think he is!" exclaimed Vegeta.

Bulma smacked him across the back of the head, "Be quiet!"

"Team Z, huh? I like it!" said Goku.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

"Can you tell us who these people are?" asked the first reporter.

"No. That would be a violation of protocol, but I can give you their code-names." replied Naruto.

On the giant screen behind him, various captured images of the Z fighters started to cycle.

"That's Lord Three." stated Naruto at Vegeta's image.

"Lord Three?" asked a reporter.

"Yeah, technically he's the prince of about three people, but he's always going on and on about how he's royalty. Very annoying." explained Naruto. Next came Trunks picture. Eighteen leaned over and whispered something into his ear.

"Yeah, apparently that's McFly." said Naruto before it moved onto Piccolo.

"He's Jolly Green for obvious reasons." It then flipped to Goku and Gohan.

"That's the Pit and his son, the Kid." continued Naruto.

"The Pit?" questioned a confused reporter.

Naruto snorted, "The man could eat a full course meal for a dozen people and still be looking for seconds."

Then Krillin, Yamcha, and Tien came on the screen, "From left to right, Eight-ball, Scarface, and Triclops."

Next were the masked images of Sixteen and Seventeen, "The big man is the Terminator and short one is the Madame Magic."

"Madame Magic? Isn't that a guy?" asked a random dude in the crowd.

"He's not just a man, he's an okama!" announced Naruto.

Eighteen had to turn away from the cameras, unable to maintain a straight face.

"What about her?" asked a reporter in the back.

Eighteen leaned over and whispered something into his ear again, "Her codename? None of ya goddamn business."

"Hey they public has a right to know!" fired off another reporter.

"I just told you, None of ya goddamn business." yelled an annoyed Naruto.

"We're not going to take this from you! What is her codename!" demanded a fat woman in the front row.

"The woman's codename is None of ya goddamn business!" yelled Naruto.

One guy in the front finally got it, "Will all of you settle down! Her codename is the phrase, 'None of ya goddamn business', sheesh."

"Well, he should have just said that in the first place." snapped the fat bitch.

Eighteen shook her head, _'They're actually buying all this garbage, after buying that Hercule idiot's crap too? What a bunch of sheep.'_

"I'm not buying it! You're nobody! You won't even show your face!" yelled one of Hercule's fans.

"You fucking coward!"

"Hiding behind a mask!"

"Bet you he won't take it off cause he's a phony! A big fat phony!"

"You want me to take off my mask?" asked Naruto.

"He won't do it! He's nothing but a phony! A big fat phony!"

"Yeah! Stop hiding! The public has a right to know!" yelled the fat bitch in the front row.

"Sheesh, all you had to do was ask. I'm only doing this once." Naruto removed his mask, only reveal himself to be sporting his Kakashi-style mask and sunglasses underneath causing everyone in the crowd to face-plant.

"I told ya he was a phony! A big fat phony!"

"This is bullshit! You're just trying to make Hercule look bad! You fucking dobe!" yelled some young punk.

That was the last straw for Naruto. He started spiking killing intent and mumbling to himself, "I'm taking time out of my damn vacation for this bullshit...fucking morons...I don't need to take this crap..."

He slammed his fist down on the podium, "Hercule and his dojo, his entourage...they are what we thought they were. They're what we thought they were. You've seen the tapes from the World Martial Arts Tournament. A watered down field and he acts as if everything that came before him was bullshit, BULLSHIT! He and his little crew of flunkies running around with all this arrogance, while real fighters...real fighters put their lives on the line for the safety of everyone. They are who we thought they were! And that's why we had to take the damn battlefield! Now, " he smacked the microphone in front of him. "If you want to crown him, then crown his ass! But they are who we thought they were! And you're lettin' 'em off the hook!"

With that said he and Eighteen vanished from sight.

"See! That guy was a phony! A big fat phony!"

"Shut the fuck up Mike. You think everyone is a phony."

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

Back at Capsule Corporation, Vegeta was cursing Naruto for putting ideas in the heads of Bulma and ChiChi.

"Oh, Goku let's go on a vacation too!" demanded Chichi.

"What do we do on a vacation?" questioned a puzzled Goku.

Chichi went for the kill shot immediately, "There will be lots of different foods to eat!"

"Alright! Let's do it!" cheered Goku.

"We can leave the boys here with my mom and dad. Let's go on a couples retreat!" suggested Bulma.

Chichi's eyes lit up at the sound of that, "Oh, that sounds nice..."

"Damn you, you miserable blond bastard! I'll get you for this!" ranted Vegeta.

Goku gave him a confused look, "What are you complaining about Vegeta? I'm sure there will be plenty of food!"

"Woman we are not going on vacation with Kakarot and his woman!" declared Vegeta.

Bulma gave him a look that he'd come to consider even worse than the, 'I'm not fixing the gravity room' look. The 'I'll wreck your gravity room and make you take me shopping look'.

Vegeta clenched his fist before throwing his hands up in exasperation and walking away, cursing Naruto all the while.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

A week and a half had passed since the Hercule press conference incident. Naruto and Eighteen had moved on from the casinos of Las Mujicas to the beach resorts of South Nova City. Currently the two were cuddled together on a blanket, enjoying the sunset. Eighteen suddenly reached up and turned Naruto's face to hers, bringing their lips together for a short chaste kiss. Naruto started to pull back to say something, but Eighteen pulled him in again, his slight surprise allowing for her tongue to gain entrance into his mouth. This kiss was much longer, and much more passionate, not ending until they both had to come up for air.

"Not that I'm complaining or anything, but what was that for?" asked Naruto.

"For being you." Eighteen replied simply.

This time Naruto leaned down and initiated the kiss, their hands exploring each others bodies until Eighteen pulled back.

"What was that for?" she asked coyly.

Naruto just whispered something inaudible and grinned before shrugging and turning away from her. Eighteen frowned before smirking as she attacked his weakness, scratching him behind his ear like a puppy. He melted in her hands and started purring as she ran her fingers over his whisker marks as well.

"What was that?" she whispered in his ear.

"I like you too..." he murmured between purrs.

"Good boy." she said with a smile.

"Not a dog..." he muttered.

She smirked, "No more like a cat, no...a fox!"

* * *

A/N: For those of you looking for Naruto/18 quality time, it has arrived! Now mosey on down to that review button and click it. Once your done there go check my Ninja of the Mage story that was just updated and review that too. And there's a poll on my profile you can check out as well. You do all that, there just might be something in it for ya. The dragonballs will be back in only four months, and there's a whole wish waiting to be used. Just throwing that out there. Oh and one more thing, did you check the word count on this story now? IT'S OVER 90,000! That is all. DragonMasterFlex out! Peace!


	21. The Big Leagues

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything

* * *

**The Big Leagues  
**

_(In an alternate time line, a long time into the future)_

"This is the end for you Cell! The nightmare is over!" roared Trunks, his golden aura flaring violently around his body.

"You insignificant pest! You will pay for your attempt to deny my chance at perfection! I will kill you and take your precious time machine for myself!" bellowed Cell. The imperfect android menace hovered high in the sky as he cupped his hands at his sides, "Ka... me... ha..."

As Cell powered up his Kamehameha, Trunks surrounded himself in a large dome of golden energy and fired an enormous blast at Cell before the Android could finish powering up his own beam attack.

"Impossible!" screamed Cell as he was overtaken by the blast and completely destroyed.

Trunks stood frozen in place, looking up to the sky as his attack shot of into space for a few seconds before finally powering down.

"It's finally over." he whispered to himself. "Thank you guys, for everything."

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

"Mom! I'm home!" yelled Trunks as he walked into the rundown remains of Capsule Corporation. Not hearing a response, he walked past the kitchen to find Bulma asleep on a couch in their make-shift living room.

"Must have finally crashed after staying up working all last night." said Trunks as he put a blanket on her and tucked a pillow under her head.

"Have a nice nap Mom." said Trunks as he planted a kiss on her forehead. The purple haired saiyan hybrid went back into the kitchen, opening the refrigerator and scanning for something to eat. The young time traveler put together a makeshift meal by piling the various leftovers he found onto a few plates. After racking them up in the microwave to heat up all at once, he went over to wash his hands at the sink. After he shut off the water, he rinsed his hands off with a dry cloth before moving to clear the table for his meal. As he moved his jacket off the table a small scroll fell out of his pocket. He picked it up and unrolled it, finding the scroll to have come from Naruto.

"When did he slip this in there?" questioned a puzzled Trunks. He remembered the blond appearing out of the nowhere the night before he traveled back to his own time. Naruto had shaken his hand, wished him luck, given him a new sword sheath, and vanished back off to parts unknown.

The scroll read, 'Unseal after scrap-heaping the androids and vaporizing Cell.' A chibi Naruto giving him the peace sign was drawn underneath with a short seal array underneath that.

"How did he unseal these things...Oh yeah." Trunks pricked his finger and swiped some blood across the seal. In a puff of smoke, Naruto appeared in his kitchen.

"So this is the future, huh?" said Naruto as he took a look around. "When it went bad, it went _really_ bad."

"How did you get here?" stammered a stunned Trunks.

Naruto adopted a smug look and flashed him the peace sign, "You didn't really think that the greatest Ninja of all time would pass up a chance to travel through time, did ya? Dimension, Time, Space, there are no limits for the great Naruto Uzumaki!"

Trunks just looked at him as if he was insane.

Naruto shrugged, "I'm just a clone. The boss figured things might be in really bad shape even after you killed off the Androids and Cell. You're still in need of some eternal dragon style assistance."

"What's all the racket going on in here?" asked a yawning Bulma as she walked into the room. "Trunks, you should have told me in you were bringing company over."

Trunks snorted, "He's not company, he's Naruto."

Bulma rolled her eyes, "Very funny young man, like you really brought you're friend from the past back home with you."

Naruto let out a wolf whistle, "Damn! You look just as fine as you do in my time!"

Trunks face-palmed, "See, I told ya it's Naruto."

"Just a clone, but a close to the original as you can get!" reminded Naruto. "You guys wouldn't happen to have any ramen around here would you? The boss would have a fit if I didn't taste some ramen of the future."

Trunks started laughing at the absurdity of it all, "Definitely Naruto."

"Well, you didn't tell me how much of cutie your friend here was!" teased Bulma. "And a charmer too, why If I'd met you way back then, Trunks-"

"Mom!" yelled Trunks.

"Ahem!" coughed Naruto regaining their attention. "Now, as I said before you guys are in need of some eternal dragon style assistance."

Bulma gave him a curious look, "But the balls are inert."

_'Not these balls!'_ thought Naruto with a smirk. "On this planet, but what about the planet with the original dragonballs?"

"New Namek! You're right! We can fix a ton with three wishes!" exclaimed Bulma, before she realized the problem with that plan. "We don't have the resources to build a spaceship. I used everything in building the time machine."

"Hey! Who needs a spaceship when you got the number one teleporting ass-kicking ninja!" declared Naruto. "A quick hop to other world to round up the gang, pick up Trunks' new sword, and find the location of New Namek, then you're back in business!"

"Naruto can teleport us across the galaxy in a blink of eye, no spaceship needed." explained Trunks.

"Finally, a karate bum who's actually useful!" cheered Bulma.

Naruto snickered, "Ha! That's what the other you said about me too."

Bulma suddenly leaped into her son's arms, laughing with glee. Trunks picked her up and twirled her around.

"We can really bring them back! We can fix all the things they destroyed! We can really have a home again!" exclaimed Bulma.

Naruto gave them a warm smile, "We all thought everyone deserved a happy ending, especially you two. You two saved the past and the future, and you deserve to be fully rewarded for your efforts. Thank you, for never giving up hope."

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

_( Back to the normal time line: Two weeks later)_

Mid afternoon in a small quiet Italian restaurant on the west side of Orion City, a young redheaded woman sat idly at the far edge of the bar poking at the olive in the bottom her martini glass. The restaurant was the spot of choice for couples, however, her fiance was late meeting her, _again._

"He is so going to pay for this..." she muttered before downing the rest of her drink. Turning back towards the rear of the room, she spotted a blond woman seated alone in the table right behind her, apparently sharing a similar predicament.

"You waiting on somebody too?" asked the redhead.

"You could say that." replied Eighteen.

"Mind if I sit with you? If we both get stood up, we could pretend we were just friends meeting for dinner. Won't make us look so pathetic." suggested the woman.

Eighteen smiled and waved her arm at the chair across from her, "Go right ahead."

"I'm Sophia, by the way." said the woman as she took a seat.

"Natalie." replied Eighteen.

As Sophia turned to hook her purse onto the side of her chair, she thought she saw her table companion twitch oddly, but dismissed it as a trick of the light. A waitress soon approached them and they ordered some more drinks and a few appetizers. The two woman struck up a conversation about their missing significant others, Sophia heavily dominating the conversation. The redhead did notice that when the blond would say something negative about her boyfriend, she would then suddenly readjust herself in her chair. She dismissed at her being annoyed by his absence. Also, occasionally Sophia would pause as she noticed Eighteen gaining a glazing over expression on her face, but the blond would immediately prompt her to continue the conversation as if nothing was amiss. After the waitress returned with their drinks and food, Sophia received a call from her fiance on her cell. Distracted by the phone call, she didn't notice Eighteen going slack in her chair and burying her face in her arms on top of the table to suppress a few moans.

"He said he's coming as quick as he can. If he left when we was supposed to, he wouldn't be in so much trouble." said Sophia as she hung up.

"Men, they never do _come quick_ at the right time." joked Eighteen.

"You are so right about that!" replied a giggled Sophia.

Suddenly eighteen jumped up in her seat, banging her leg against the table.

"Sorry, my heel got stuck." said Eighteen.

"Happens to me all the time." replied Sophia, shaking her head. The redhead went to take another sip of her drink, but suddenly froze up in shock.

"Ah...Oh...Oh...Oh yes!" moaned Eighteen as she suddenly went in slack in her chair, her eyes rolling back into her head, and her face gaining that blissful post orgasmic glow. Sophia could only stare at the woman across from her in shock, unable to comprehend what just happened. Since it was a somewhat secluded table, the only other person to notice Eighteen seemingly creaming herself out of the blue was the waitress that had approached the table to offer them some more wine and appetizers.

"I'll have whatever she was having..." muttered Sophia, her tone still filled with shock and awe.

What came next shocked the two women even further.

"Sorry ladies, but I'm not on the menu." came the voice of Naruto from under the table. As the source of Eighteen's pleasure emerged from the table, the two woman nearly fainted as the thought of what just truly occurred dawned on them. As Naruto reached his feet he continued licking his lips and fingers in exaggerated fashion, causing the pink hue on their cheeks to turn flaming red.

"Thanks for the audience." said Naruto with a smirk on his face. The blond dropped a hefty tip on the table for the waitress and enough money to cover Sophia's meal as well. He wrapped an arm around the still dazed Eighteen and escorted her out of the restaurant.

The two woman stayed frozen for several minutes afterward until the waitress finally blurted, "Did you see how long his tongue was?"

"I'll be dreaming about that tongue for the rest of my life." replied Sophia.

"Sorry, I was late again babe, but the boss was being a real pain in the ass today." exclaimed a brown haired man as he ran up to the table with Sophia. The man immediately went on edge from the strange look his redheaded fiance was giving him, _'I've never seen that look before. She's totally turning me on and scarring me shit less at the same time. What the hell happened while I was gone?'_

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

_(About a week later)_

Vegeta had no idea how he ended up in his current predicament, all he knew was that he needed to get out of it, or someone was going to die._  
_

He gave a look towards the heavens, _'I'll take back everything I've ever done. I'll take the woman shopping! I'll spend more time with my brat! I'll stop calling Kakarot's woman a harpy even, just for the love of Kami please make it stop!'_

As if on command to his response, Goku and Naruto jumped in his face singing along with the Karaoke machine.

"Well, who are you?" sang Naruto.

"Who are you? Who, Who, Who, Who?" sang Goku.

"I really wanna know!"

"Who are you? Who, Who, Who, Who?"

Vegeta had thought that when he died at the hands Frieza, he'd seen hell. He was wrong. He was horribly, horribly, horribly wrong. Somehow during the third day of their vacation, his group encountered Naruto and Eighteen. Shortly after that Seventeen and some purple haired woman he was with stumbled upon all three couples. The result was far worse than anything Vegeta could have ever imagined, a private karaoke party.

Vegeta turned eyes back upward to the ceiling, a look of rage on his face, _ 'Namek brat! I know this is your doing! And the Namek is the one pulling your strings. No one but you could bestow such an unbearable torture like this upon someone. If you end this now, there will be no repercussions.'_

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

Up at the lookout, Dende suddenly paused in his meditation.

"Piccolo, he wants to bargain." said Dende. "If I stop now, no repercussions and he'll be nice to his family and friends."

The larger Namekian snorted before an evil smile spread across his face, "No deal. Screw him to the wall!"

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

"This one goes out to you Vegeta!" declared Goku. Now he, Seventeen, and Naruto were onstage as new music started to pla_y._

_'The both of you will pay for this, dragonballs be damned...' _thought Vegeta.

(Why can't we be friends by War)

Hoo, Hoo, Hoo-oo!  
Hoo, Hoo, Hoo-oo!

La, La, La, La, Laaaaa...  
La, La, La, La, Laaaaa...

Why can't we be friends?  
Why can't we be friends?  
Why can't we be friends?  
Why can't we be friends?

(Goku takes the lead)

I know I've seen you in the buffet line,  
We end up next to each other almost every time!

Why can't we be friends?  
Why can't we be friends?  
Why can't we be friends?  
Why can't we be friends?

(Naruto takes the lead)

I know I messed up your gravity room,  
But I got yo woman to fix it before it went Kaboom!

Why can't we be friends?  
Why can't we be friends?  
Why can't we be friends?  
Why can't we be friends?

(Seventeen takes the lead)

We had that one big fight in the past,  
But I'm really sorry for whoopin yo ass!

Why can't we be friends?  
Why can't we be friends?  
Why can't we be friends?  
Why can't we be friends?

At this point the women could hold back their giggles anymore and burst out into laughter. Vegeta started to rise to pound them all into a pulp, but Bulma yanked him back down into his seat.

"No fighting!" scolded Bulma. "If you want to get back at them, use the music!"

"You'll have to do better than that." grumbled Vegeta as he stood up again. Bulma yanked him down again and whispered something into his ear, unable to hide the blush spreading on her face.

"Now you're speaking my language." said a smirking Vegeta. "You want music, I'll give you some music."

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

Dende halted in his meditation again, "Piccolo, he's actually...joining in. Vegeta...is going to sing?"

Piccolo let out a low chuckle, "Just make sure someone is getting it on tape. He'll never be able to live it down."

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

Vegeta snatched the microphone from Goku as soon as they were done kicking them all off the stage.

"Yeah, the Veggie-man finally getting into to it!" cheered Naruto as he sat back down next to Eighteen.

"This outta be good." said a smirking Seventeen.

As the music chosen by the Saiyan Prince started play, everyone in the room raised an eyebrow at it. That is until his own lyrical modifications were heard.

(War by Edwin Starr)

Go-Ku! Yeah!  
What is he good for?  
Absolutely nothing!  
Uh-Huh!

Na-ru-to!  
What is he good for?  
Absolutely nothing!  
I'll tell ya again ya'll!

Go-Ku! Kami please...  
What is he good for?  
Absolutely nothing!  
Listen to me!

Kakkarot is a man I despise  
He'll eat up all my food  
And get me yelled at by his harpy wife

I've traveled all throughout space  
And met many of a different race  
But that punk ass Uzumaki,  
Well he's the scum of the galaxy!

I said, Go-Ku!  
Good God, y'all  
What is he good for  
Absolutely nothing  
Say it again!

Na-ru-to, Lord  
What is he good for  
Absolutely nothing  
Listen to me!

Goku laughed and clapped along as ChiChi started singing along, but Naruto gave Eighteen a sour look once she started humming along. Seventeen's amusement at their misfortune didn't last for long. The nest song was Vegeta's personal remix of 'Domo Arigato Mr. Roboto'.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

_(Time Skip: 6 months past the Cell games)_

Briefcase in hand, pipe in mouth, Dr. Briefs marched into the assembly hall with his lab coat billowing behind him. Normally the only a reason such a collection of the best and brightest minds in science would only be collected for awards or to announce another landmark discovery in a new field. But today was not the case. While Dr. Briefs possessed a calm and collected facade, the majority of his scientific colleagues were unable to hide the panic in their demeanor. His arrival did assuage them somewhat, as they all let of a sigh of relief at not being to one to deal with the media on this urgent matter. He walked down the side of the room, avoiding the hoard of gathered press members in the middle of the room. He started greeating his colleagues as he reached the front of the room, where they were seated at long rectangular tables, his seat being the one in the center with the modified podium in front of it._  
_

"Bunson! Beaker! Hughes. Zoidberg! Sloan! House. Brennan. Mallard. Wilson! " He glared at the last figure, saying her name sourly, "_Boxer..._"

The woman returned the glare with equal intensity, her tone possessing the same level of disdain, "_Briefs_..."

"How in the world did he end up marrying her sister." muttered Mallard.

"Easy, she's just as hot as Boxer and she's not a bitch." replied House.

Wilson chuckled as he added, "Their family gatherings must just be fantastic."

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

Chichi sighed as she stood up from the kitchen table, "Your father was supposed to be back here almost an hour ago."

Gohan chuckled from the sink where he was washing dishes, "He probably fell asleep at the lake. He always does after a good day of fishing."

"What am I going to do with that man." Chichi the noticed Gohan scrubbing hard to get some grime off a plate, "Here, let me do it. At the rate you're going, you'll break it."

Gohan shooed her away from the sink, "Mom, I've got this. You should sit down and rest."

"Just because I'm pregnant, doesn't mean I'm disabled young man." chided Chichi as she bumped her son out of the way. "Now, if you use a the rough side of a sponge instead of a towel, this comes right off. See?"

Gohan took the sponge and plate from her, before escorting her back to my chair, "Yes, thanks. Now sit! See what's on the TV."

"Fine. I'll rest. When I was pregnant with you, your father and grandfather just got out of the way and let me do whatever I wanted." said Chichi.

"Well, you've had me study so much that I know better." replied Gohan.

"Yes, I must follow all the instructions of the world renown, Dr. Gohan." joked Chichi as she turned on the TV. After flipping through the channels for a few seconds she landed on ZTV, finding her favorite soap opera.

"Oh, I almost forgot! Today there were going to reveal the father of Shizuru's baby!" squealed ChiChi.

The channel suddenly cut away from the soap to a male anchor at the news desk, "We interrupt this programming to bring you a special edition of ZTV Action News."

"Oh! Come on! Not now!" whined Chichi.

"Scientists and Astronomers of world renown have gathered together here at the Koshi Assembly Hall of West City for a major announcement. On the scene for ZTV to witness the press release for this apparent landmark discovery is our own Maria Tucker. Maria?"

"Thanks, Kento. It looks Dr. Briefs is now arriving at the podium for what is expected to be a historic announcement. Earlier today..." said Maria.

"Gohan, come here! Something is happening!" yelled Chichi.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

A massive projection screen descended from the ceiling in front of the back wall. When the projector came online is displayed a split screen with King Furry on the left and the head of the royal airforce, Five Star General Fox McCloud, on the right.

"We have gathered you all here today to announce a matter of dire importance to the future of our planet." announced King Furry.

General Fox picked it up from there, "Dr. Briefs was the point man on this discovery and the best to inform the nature of the situation. Go ahead Doctor."

Dr. Briefs cleared his throat and took a sip of water from the glass on the podium, "Yes, thank you General. First off, I would like to thank you all for gathering here on such short notice. The discovery, my colleagues and I have recently made is vital to the survival of our beloved mother earth. In response to the now classified UAF incident several years back, a host of sensory satellites were commissioned by King Furry and General McCloud. These satellites are our first wave of detection for an incoming threat from outside the solar system. As of 0400 hours last Tuesday, the SRTT I & SRTT III sensory satellites discovered an unidentified object approaching the Solar System. At 0500 the same day, the UVR IV & UVR IX satellites identified the mass as possessing a radial length 4.5 times the length of the Central Continent. At 0530 UVR III & UVR V confirmed the mass to be devoid of life. In layman's terms, the object was nothing more than a big hunk of space rock. At this point we all were relieved that it was just harmless object that was going to float right by our solar system, instead of a colony of aliens on the hunt for a planet."

A blond haired male reporter interrupted, "So it is confirmed, that terrorists behind the Eastern Capital Massacre were aliens from the discovered space pods?"

"That's classified." declared General Fox.

The reported snorted before shaking his head, "I'll take that as a yes."

"Anything else? No? Alright then, now I was saying before, my colleagues and I were relieved that the object turned out to be a harmless mass off dead space matter. It turns out we were wrong." stated Dr. Briefs.

The throng of reporters erupted like an angry bee hive.

"Wrong? So, we are under the threat of an impending extraterrestrial attack?"

"And you've all been sitting on your asses!"

"You incompetent assholes have doomed us all!"

"Ahem!" coughed Dr. Briefs loudly, silencing the room. "If you had let me finish, I was going to say we were wrong about the space body being harmless. A calculation error occurred on two fronts. One stream of data was decoded from binary into base 10, before being processed for analysis. The analysis software does all calculations in Hexadecimal. The second was a units conversion error." His eyes flashed to Dr. Boxer momentarily, "Hopefully by now everyone will have learned to switch the metric system. Now with these two errors rectified, our situation became quite dire. First and foremost the satellite body is on a partial collision course with Venus."

"What's the big deal then? It misses us!" yelled a purple haired reporter.

Dr. Boxer snorted, "Venus is a very volatile planet. If the rock hits, it blows and the after effects of the explosion mean the end of all life on Earth."

"Our current weapons systems are only capable of altering the path of this object." stated General Fox. "At best we could send it to the sun and if it hits the sun, we're talking end of the entire solar system."

"That would be if our weapons didn't manage to set off the pockets of volatile compounds we later discovered submerged beneath the surface of the satellite body." added Dr. Briefs. "The Earth's military is completely useless in this matter."

Those six words sent the room into an uproar.

_'These are supposed to be the elite journalists? Their no better than a horde of that fool Satan's fans.'_ thought Dr. Briefs.

One reporter noticed the complete calm Dr. Briefs possessed in spite of the mass panic and hysteria. "Dr. Briefs, how can you possibly be so calm about this situation?" she asked, the horde of chaos all suddenly coming to a halt as they waited for his answer."

"Well, you see it's quite simple." replied the Doc as he pulled out a lighter and lit up his pipe. "That chunk of space rock will be dust before it even hits the asteroid belt."

"But the general just said we don't have the weapons systems capable of accomplishing such a task." declared a man in the front row.

"Weapons? No, of course not. What a preposterous idea! We have specialists for this type of situation, Earth's last line of defense." elaborated Dr. Briefs.

"What are you saying?" asked Dr. Wilson.

"I'm sure you've all heard of them. I made the call..." he paused momentarily for dramatic effect. "To Team Kai!"

The projector screen suddenly changed, King Furry and General Fox now split across the top half and the bottom half showing a live feed of a large Capsule Corp space pod blasting through the solar system. The view momentarily shifted to the inside of the space craft, where a four man crew was seated at the control deck before flashing back to an outer view of the pod. The only way to describe the assembly hall after this was complete and utter pandemonium. Seconds later internet message boards flooded as the Team Kai vs. Hercule debate went up to a whole new level.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

Chichi's eyes narrowed at the TV in front of her, "Oh no you didn't..."

Gohan let out a sigh as he turned away from the television shaking his head.

"Gohan! Capsule Corp now!" ordered Chichi.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

"You've just passed the orbit of Jupiter." announced the voice of Bulma over the intercom of the space pod. "Approximately one hour remaining until contact with target."

"Well-" began Seventeen only to halt as they heard a loud crash over the intercom. This crash was followed by scream from Mrs. Briefs, a Vegeta yell, and then even more crashes.

"What the hell is going on back there?" yelled Naruto.

"Hold on a second, someone's coming-" Eighteen's voice cut off as a massive slamming sound was heard. They then heard Bulma start to yell at someone before simply going silent.

"Sorry dad!" they heard Gohan shout in the background before their eardrums nearly exploded.

"GOKU! YOU GET YOUR ASS BACK HERE THIS INSTANT!" screamed ChiChi. "HOW DARE YOU LEAVE YOUR PREGNANT WIFE AT HOME AND RUN OFF ON ONE YOUR CRAZY ADVENTURES! OF ALL THE MORONIC THINGS YOU'VE DONE, THIS TAKES THE CAKE! THIS IS LAST TIME I LET YOU OUT OF MY SIGHT MISTER!"

"Man, it's like Gohan is the dad and Goku is the kid!" joked Seventeen.

Chichi went up another few octaves, "I HEARD THAT! YOU THREE ARE NO BETTER! YOU NO GOOD BUMS ALWAYS PULLING GOKU INTO YOUR CRAZY SCHEMES! THE MAN HAS A FAMILY TO SUPPORT! THERE'S NO TIME FOR HIM TO BE GALLIVANTING ACROSS SPACE WITH YOU HOOLIGANS AND HOODLUMS!"

"We're hoodlums and hooligans? Awesome!" cheered Naruto.

"Mom! Look! It's baby Trunks!" they heard Gohan say in the background.

Chichi's mood immediately flipped, "Oohh! Look at the baby..."

"Dad! Home! Now!" demanded Gohan.

"Gohan, can't you keep her distracted for a little while longer?" pleaded Goku.

Gohan decided to barter, "Only if I get to eat half of your dinner along with mine."

"Sorry guys." said Goku as he raised his hand to do the instant transmission.

"Hey! Wait a minute! You can sacrifice a meal, we need a fourth guy!" exclaimed Naruto.

"I'll bring back a replacement!" countered Goku before he vanished from the ship.

"A moment of silence for our fallen comrade." announced Seventeen.

"I would say he was whipped, but that woman scares the crap out of me." stated Naruto.

"Not to mention she's pregnant." added Sixteen.

"Who in the hell is he going to find this short of notice?" blurted Seventeen.

Moments later Goku reappeared with Vegeta, and dropped his suit on the shoulder of the shorter Saiyan before vanishing.

"You fools dare to engage in massive amounts of unparalleled destruction without me!" declared a smirking Vegeta.

"Pipe down Lord Three." spoke Bulma over the intercom. "This is a more of a finesse operation than you think. The heart of this satellite body contains pockets of volatile compounds. If you just go and blow it up, the chain reaction from the explosion could throw the entire solar system out of whack."

"Then what's the plan?" asked Vegeta.

"Using both the ships and my own sensory capabilities, a full scan of the object must be processed." stated Sixteen.

"I'm the second phase." announced Seventeen. "I'll erect a massive containment field around it to freeze it in place. I should be able to hold it for 20 minutes."

"Phase two is were the rest you jump in." said Bulma. "The software here on earth will send you scans results on your HUD monitors marking the proper planes of dissection."

"Phase three, I make an army of shadow clones and separate all the pockets of combustible stuff." continued Naruto.

"Phase four, we vaporize the rest of that shit." finished Seventeen.

"We'll be watching everything from here to make sure you don't screw up." added Eighteen.

"No pressure, it's not like anyone is watching right?" joked Seventeen.

"My dad's holding a major press conference right now announcing the situation. The ship is going to broadcast this little operation live to the entire world." informed Bulma.

"Well, I'm always a fan of a good audience." stated Naruto.

Vegeta snorted, "This is all a waste of time. I should just blast that damn thing to smithereens, a big enough attack and you won't have to worry about any after effect explosion."

Naruto stood up and walked over to Vegeta, staring him dead in the eyes and poked him in the chest, "There will be none of that bullshit you were pulling with Team Z. You start running off all half-cocked and I will cut you open and yank out your spleen so fast you're kidney will yell, 'What the hell happened to Frank!' We're all about teamwork here with Team Kai. So either get with the program, or get sent back to the minors rookie. You're in the big leagues now. Now head on to the back and get suited up, mission starts in thirty."

* * *

Well there you have it. A veritable cornucopia of events for your reading pleasure. Now hit that review button. Go on, click it. It's good for you.


	22. The New Contract

**Disclaimer: **I don't own anything

* * *

**The New Contract  
**

The large round space vessel came to a halt just a short distance to the left of the path of the incoming rock mass. As the space pod maintained low thrust to hold itself in place, the door slowly opened releasing the four makeshift astronauts out into space. The team wore thin reddish orange jumpsuit style space suits with helmets. The suits were made extremely durable material similar to that of Saiyan armor. The helmets all featured HUDs, enabling Bulma to feed them live data and maps. Team Kai came to an abrupt halt, once they got up close and personal with the Asteroid. They were all mesmerized by the shear size of the space rock.

"Holy shit..." stammered Naruto. "What in the hell have we gotten ourselves into?"

"Seeing the projected size of this thing from the models was one thing..." whispered Seventeen in awe.

"...but up close, it's even bigger than I could have possibly imagined." finished Sixteen.

"I thought that meteor I destroyed to become a Super Saiyan was huge, but this is unreal!" exclaimed Vegeta.

"Yes, it's very, very big. Now stop floating around like idiots and get to work!" blasted the voice of Bulma over their headsets.

"Yeah, yeah." they all muttered in response.

Sixteen was up first moving out front and center as the protective shield on his helmet lifted up. His eyes changed colors, turning completely red as an ultraviolet light emitted from the Android, slowly washing over the entirety of the unknown space rock and scanning it in the process. Once he was finished, the redhead clamped his face shield back down before speeding back to the ship to complete the data transfer to Bulma back on Earth. The moment he bolted for the ship Seventeen assumed a meditative stance in the path of the approaching asteroid, a blue aura surrounding his body as he hovered in the middle of space.

**"Kekkai!"** A light blue rectangular prism barrier appeared around the asteroid, freezing it in place.

Beads of sweat dripped down the side of Seventeen's face from his effort exerted in creating the barrier.

"Alright guys, the clock is ticking!" he reminded.

"Let's go to work." announced Naruto as the maps of the dissection planes appeared on their HUD displays.

Sixteen's hands retracted into his forearm and transformed into a modified laser canon. Vegeta summoned forth a massive slicing disk in his right hand and took aim. Naruto unsheathed the Z-sword, his eyes shifting into that of ascended sage mode as he sent spikes of his energy into the blade. The blade pulsed momentarily, and seemed to come to life with energy, but then it died back down.

"Come on! Wake up you lazy bastard!" growled Naruto as he sent an even bigger spike of energy into the sword. The weapon seemingly hummed to life in response, the blade becoming enshrouded in a green flame like energy. "Now that's more like it."

"Hold it! Nobody move!" shouted Bulma over their headsets, causing them to all of them to cringe.

"I think you ruptured an eardrum..." grumbled Naruto.

"What is it now, woman!" growled Vegeta, his ears also ringing from her shout.

"All of you, shut up and listen!" commanded Bulma. "The computer just finished processing the information from Sixteen's scan. We were wrong about the internal composition of the asteroid. It's not pockets of volatile materials mixed with dead rocket, it's pockets of dead rock mixed within a ton of volatile materials."

"What!" was the collective shout of the four warriors.

"You can't be serious!" bellowed Seventeen.

"How in the hell are we supposed to destroy this thing?" yelled Naruto.

"You can't destroy it. Maybe you can move it somehow..." suggested Bulma.

"That's no good." advised Sixteen. "With the gravitational forces at work, we can't move it into a position where something catastrophic won't happen."

"Well, unless you plan on draining that thing of thousands of metric tons of volatile compounds, I don't see any other options here! It's move the damn thing, or Armageddon!" yelled Bulma.

"I vote for no Armageddon." added Eighteen.

"Drain it, you said?" interrupted Vegeta. "Tell me one thing, is it possible that this isn't an asteroid at all, but the chunk of a planet's core?"

"That chunk of a planet's core?" questioned Bulma. "But for something like to happen-"

"I don't care about how it happened, woman!" snapped Vegeta. "We just need to know if it is or not!"

"Alright! Hold on a second!" retorted Bulma as she punched some information into the computer. "It's possible, but my dad's more of an expert in this field than me. I'll bring him in on the conference line."

"What difference does it make if it's the chunk of planet's core or not?" asked Seventeen.

"Because, planet's have life force AKA nature." Vegeta then nodded towards Naruto. "This tree hugging hippie can drain away the remaining nature force with that damned Sage mode of his."

"Yeah, but he can only drain so much." countered Sixteen.

"But, you forgot about my new kick ass sword with energy draining action!" declared Naruto.

Without waiting for acknowledgement from Dr. Briefs of whether it would actually even work or not the blond darted towards the surface of the planetary partition, kicking up a huge amount of debris as he landed. The blond stabbed the Z-sword into the ground in front of him before assuming a meditative position to try and gather the natural energies of the planet. Slowly, but surely Naruto felt the familiar flow of energy begin.

"It's working." commented Sixteen with gleam of hope in his tone. His sensors picked up the flow of the energy into both Naruto and the sword.

"So far." countered Vegeta.

For the next few minutes everything seemed to be going smoothly until there was sudden surge of power and Naruto was forced to break the connection. He then felt the energy start to drain back out of him and the sword, so he yanked it out of the ground and sped backwards to put some distance between himself and planet segment.

"What just happened!" yelled Vegeta.

"There was huge a surge of energy and then it started trying to drain his own power!" informed Sixteen.

"Well, at least it didn't decided to blow up." joked Seventeen.

As if on cue the rocky mass started to quake violently. Cracks began appearing on the surface, illuminated by a glowing blue light from deep within it's core.

Vegeta started swearing, "Just great, that son of bitch has gone and damned us all!"

The rocks of the core started crumbling away, turning to dust as light from within started to intensify. Seventeen, Sixteen, and Vegeta all started powering up attacks, hoping to somehow divert the blasts through brute force. Naruto formed a horde of clones that charged back towards the volatile mass, trying to teleport the rock away prior to the explosion. There efforts soon proved to be unnecessary as there was a massive surge of energy that resulted not in an explosion, but the sight of something breaking free. A majestic phoenix of ethereal blue color now hovered in place of the once hulking rock. The phoenix gave a trill and suddenly Naruto was enveloped in a tornado of blue energy before his clones dispelled and they both vanished from sight.

Sixteen, Seventeen and Vegeta stared blankly ahead for a few seconds before turning to each other with the same stupefied expression, "What the fuck just happened?"

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

When Naruto came to he found himself floating along in a endless void of nothingness. Bland greyness seemed to stretch on forever in all directions. All was quiet until swirling trails of blue light appeared around the area and his mind was suddenly assaulted with a multitude of voices speaking all at once.

_'Where are we?'_

_'What is this place...'_

_'There's someone here!'_

_'A flame wielder!'_

_'A third eye wielder!'_

_'He must be destroyed...'_

_'No he's one of ours!'_

_'One our contractors has survived!'_

_'A wielder of the Fūjutsu!'_

_'He can help us...'_

_'He can save us?'_

_'He can avenge us!'_

_'He can give us a new home...'_

_'Home...'_

_'Home!'_

_'So tired...I just want to go home...'_

"Ahhh! Get out of my head!" screamed Naruto as he shut his eyes and ripped at his hair, unable to take it anymore.

"Sorry, about that. It's been so long since we've been free like this. My fellow spirits tend to get a little excited." interrupted a voice.

Naruto opened his eyes to find the blue phoenix in a much smaller form, floating in front of him, "Who...What...huh?"

"Ah yes! I do believe I should introduce myself. I am the **Kaze no Seirei-Ō (Wind Spirit King)** , the former spirit guardian of the planet Enosha. The others you heard were my fellow wind spirits._"_

_'The Wing Spirit King?'_ thought Naruto before he introduced himself in classic Naruto fashion. "Naruto Uzumaki, all around bad-ass ninja at your service."

"A pleasure to make your acquaintance young contractor!" replied the Spirit King with a chuckle. "You are a contractor, but you currently are without contract. Yet you used to have one, how curious..."

Naruto was completely lost, "A contractor? I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Your contract, your means to call up the spirits to aid you in battle. Perhaps you have another name for it..." responded the Spirit King.

_'He must mean my old summoning contract...'_ thought Naruto. "I get it now, where I come from we called our selves summoners. I was once a summoner of the mighty Toad clan, but my contract is broken. After a battle I became lost in a void between the realms, it was as if I had died so the contract was broken."

"I see your contract is different, it is not the source of your Fūjutsu (Wind Technique). You are a being of contradiction, both a wielder of the wind and the flame. You possess both light and darkness, chaos and order. Interesting..." pondered the Spirit King.

Slightly miffed at being so thoroughly analyzed, Naruto decided to change the subject, "You said former Spirit Guardian of the planet Enosha, what happened?"

The phoenix let out a sad trill, before replying with a melancholic tone, "Enosha was destroyed. That portion of the planet, we were sealed inside was all that remained."

"I'm sorry to hear that." responded Naruto. "Was there some sort of accident?"

"No, it was destroyed by the greed and corruption of a single being." informed the phoenix. "For almost the past decade, the people of my planet engaged in a terrible war with the flame wielders of Enosha's sister planet Kalanor. Originally the people of Kalanor and Enosha were peaceful neighbors. The planet of Kalanor was rich in natural land resources and vegetation while Enosha was rich water and aquatic nutrients. The two neighboring worlds worked together in building almost a Utopian like society. Then Despero came along and ruined it all. It is unclear how he came to power so quickly, but it was as if overnight he became sole leader of Kalanor, all their people following his every command without question. He raised an army, gifting them with a portion of his own source of power, Pitar, the flame spirit of Kalanor. They call themselves the legion of the third eye, after strange third eye of Despero that granted him complete control over the flame of Pitar. He declared war on Enosha and sought to colonize Enosha for its resources as he quickly ran through the resources of Kalanor in amassing his army. Enosha was only to be his first step into building a galactic empire. The Enoshans were a peaceful people, but they were also people of character, and they would not let the corrupt flame wielders have our world. By birth an Enoshan was entered into contract with me and gained the ability to wield Fūjutsu (Wind Technique)."

"That put your people at a major disadvantage to those Pitar guys. The wind element is weakest against fire." asserted Naruto.

"While that may be true, a fire also need air to burn. A master of Fūjutsu can snuff out any flame or even turn the flame against its wielder. While my contractors were fewer in number, the war became a tentative stalemate because of their mastery over the wind. The stalemate lasted several years and there was hope for the bitter war coming to an end because the dissension spreading throughout the ranks of Despero's men and the people of Kalanor. However, it all came to abrupt violent end one day. Despero acquired some sort of weapon with the ability to destroy an entire planet in the blink of an eye, and unleashed it on us out of spite for not kowtowing to his demands. The last guardian elder of Enosha sealed myself and the rest of the wind spirits into the southern continent of Enosha, in hope that we would eventually find another world to inhabit and another set of people to take up the fight against Despero."

"So for the past few years, you've been floating through space. There was no need for us to try and stop that rock before, you would have simply emerged and disperse yourselves throughout the Earth." surmised Naruto.

"That is probably true, but you present a new opportunity for us young Naruto. Through your contract we have gained access to this new realm, this summons realm calls out to us even stronger that the atmosphere of our home world. It is as if we have reached our true home. With your permission I would like to enter you into a contract with us, so we may remain in this realm and build a new home." requested the Wind Spirit King.

"How does that work though? I already know how to use the wind element, how can I summon the ability?" questioned a confused Naruto.

"It will not be the same as your old contract. Yes, your abilities are good, but they can become even more. You are but a novice in the wielding of the wind, with our aid you can become a master!" declared the Spirit King.

Naruto mulled if over for a few minutes before nodded in agreement, "Alright, I'll do it on one condition."

"What is that?" inquired the Spirit King.

Naruto grinned at the phoenix, "You make me strong enough to snuff out the flame of Despero and cut off his head."

The phoenix smiled, "You are truly an interesting one, Naruto Uzumaki. I'm quite sure you will be the most entertaining contractor."

Naruto smirked, "The don't call me the number one unpredictable ninja for nothing!"

The phoenix let out a light laugh, "I'm glad you accepted, because I have already made the contract."

"Crazy bird..." grumbled Naruto.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

For Naruto it seemed as if he had vanished for hours on end. However to everyone else, it was as if he disappeared and reappeared only minutes later. Immediately Seventeen, Sixteen, and Vegeta darted over to the spot he reappeared in. Naruto was positively giddy at thought of his new predicament and the three noticed from the get go.

"Wipe that absurd smirk off your face! Where the hell did you go!" demanded Vegeta.

"Where did I go?" Naruto suddenly gained a far off look. "To infinity...and beyond!"

The only response he got was three deadpan looks and the sound on crickets chirping.

"We're in the middle of space, why are there crickets chirping?" grumbled Naruto.

Eighteen couldn't resist taking a shot, "They heard your corny joke all the way back here on earth."

Bulma interjected with more important manners, "In case you forgotten, this was broadcast live to the world. How do we explain what happened?"

Naruto let out a sigh, "Make the footage crappy, arrange a press conference and tell them we turned the rock into a bird, and then we took the bird home. Now can we finish this back on the ship?"

"Why can't we just teleport back to Earth?" complained Seventeen.

Naruto leveled Vegeta with a glare, "Since someone decided to make a live broadcast, we need to go back on the ship so too many questions aren't asked."

"Don't give me that look! This was all the woman's doing! I wasn't even in on this from the beginning." exclaimed Vegeta.

"It's your woman, so that also makes it your problem." retorted Naruto.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

After returning to the ship and setting a return course for earth, they all gathered around Naruto for an explanation only to find the blond's mind elsewhere.

The three gave the spaced out Naruto an expectant look, "Well?"

Naruto waved them off, "Hold on a minute, I'm talking to King Kai. Need some more background information."

Just when they were about to be fed up with waiting, Naruto concluded his chat with King Kai, "Alright, go ahead."

Seventeen asked the most obvious questions, "The first question, what was that thing? The second, where did you go?"

"That my friend, was the almighty Kaze no Seirei-Ō." informed Naruto. "As for where I went? I think I was in a summoning realm or something."

"The Wind Spirit King?" questioned Sixteen.

"Yeah, it was guardian spirit of the planet Enosha, which that rock used to be a part of. The last guardian summoner bound him and the rest of the wind spirits to that portion of the planet Enosha before it was destroyed." explained Naruto.

"Sounds like a bunch of weaklings." grumbled Vegeta.

Naruto shot him a glare, "The planet Enosha was destroyed by a madman named Despero with help of the planet trade organization."

"That's impossible! That organization was crushed by the deaths of Frieza and his father!" bellowed Vegeta.

"According to King Kai, Frieza's brother, Cooler, has taken over the reigns of their little empire." stated Naruto.

"Cooler..." growled Vegeta.

"That's not all, there is supposedly someone else behind the scenes. Cooler is just the front man as their MO has changed." added Naruto.

"How so? What could change besides purging and selling or simply destroying planets?" questioned Seventeen.

"They don't purge or destroy all planets right away, the hold them hostage for some reason that's unclear. King Kai suspects the could be trafficking people, but it's unclear. The real head of the organization is up to something." replied Naruto.

After a brief moment of contemplative silence, Sixteen let out a chuckle, "It hasn't even been a year since the Cell games and yet you stumble upon another situation for us to jump into."

"All in all, I think this is good news." commented Seventeen. As everyone gave him an incredulous look, he clarified, "I know this situation is pretty shitty for the people getting screwed over, but this is good for us! We have something exciting to do! A new fight, a new adventure!"

_'Did I really use to sound this lame when I begged for a mission when I was bored?'_ thought Naruto.

"I mean come on, what exactly did you plan to do with all your free time?" questioned Seventeen.

"Enjoy nature." answered Sixteen.

"Train, eat, fuck, and sleep." answered Vegeta.

"Fuck, train, prank, eat, and sleep." answered Naruto. "Oh and fuck some more, I don't need that much sleep."

"It's nice to see where your priorities are." chimed Bulma and Eighteen simultaneously over the intercom.

"You see, if it weren't for these you'd be stuck spending time with your women." chided Seventeen.

"Good point." conceded Vegeta.

"But, sex is so awesome!" whined Naruto.

"Also a good point." conceded Vegeta.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

Despite the mission being over, Bulma decided to keep the live feed of the ship up and running in hope of humiliating Vegeta because well, he's Vegeta. Somewhere around Jupiter, she hit the jackpot.

"You bastard! That was my ramen!" roared Naruto as he tackled Vegeta.

"First come first serve fool!" shouted Vegeta as he fought back.

The ensuing dust up left Naruto with fat lip, and Vegeta giving a full moon to the world.

Eighteen rolled her eyes as Bulma smirked at her, "You'd think they would realize they are still currently on live national television."

As Bulma made a copy of the video and uploading it to the internet, a message came in from her secretary, "Bulma, just thought I should let you know that the current live feed now has even higher ratings than when everyone thought the world was going to end."

"Thanks, Alexa." replied Bulma. "I should have known. If the people on this planet love Hercule, these morons are pure gold."

Eighteen nodded in agreement, "Well, there's really only one thing we can do with this now."

"Reality TV!" they both shouted simultaneously.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

A hour later the group had been shuttled of to the press conference Bulma had arranged. Since it was Naruto's idea he was appointed speaker as the other three sat next to him at a table on a stage with the curtains closed behind them. Naruto quickly hammered out his bullshit story to be spread to the masses, however, even the people of earth weren't dumb enough to buy his bird story.

"...and that's what happened." finished Naruto.

There was dead silence in the auditorium as the assembled media gave him an 'Are you shitting me?' look.

A female reporter asked the question that was on everyone's mind, "You really expect us to buy that?"

Naruto just raised an eyebrow at her, "You don't believe me? Fine, let's go to the video tape."

A screen quickly descended down from the ceiling in front of the curtain behind them. The projector starting playing the tape, which started out on the scene of the them exiting the ship, but then quickly cut away to something entirely different. There were aubidle grunts and groans as the audience was stunned to silence at the video of a man fucking a bear. The camera zoomed in to further identify the man as Seventeen.

"What the hell? It looks like a Gero's Ho's gone wild!" exclaimed the cameraman.

The camera zoomed out to reveal a bunch of policeman on the scene slowly moving closer to the man and bear.

One of them had a megaphone, "Sir! Excuse me sir! Hey! Hey bear... Hey bear-fucker! Are you in need of assistance!"

At the utterance of 'bear-fucker' everyone burst out into ruckus laughter, well everyone except Seventeen.

Seventeen glared at Naruto, "What the fuck is this?"

Naruto gave him a look of fake surprise, "You don't know what this is? You didn't think I'd forgotten about that ramen thing, did you?"

Naruto snapped his fingers and suddenly the curtains behind them peeled back to reveal an assembled church choir.

"Since I knew you'd have some trouble understanding the why behind this, I thought I'd enlist the West City Baptist Church Choir to explain exactly why this is happening in song!" exclaimed Naruto as he started smacking his hands together and dancing along as they started singing and clapping.

Payback is a bitch!  
(Mmm-hmmm!)  
Payback is a bitch!  
(Ooooh yes!)  
Payback is a bitch!  
(yeeeaahhh..)  
Payback is a bitch! Oooh-uuuu...  
This is just the beginning...  
(Uuuuu-uuuu-uuuuu...)  
But it's payback, oh it's payback! Oooh-ooooh!  
Payback is a bitch!  
(Payback!)  
Payback is a bitch!  
(Payback!)  
Payback is a bitch!  
(Oh lord!)  
Payback is a bitch!  
(Now ya know...)

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

After escaping the wrath of Seventeen, Naruto returned with Eighteen to their new home, a luxury condo over looking downtown West City. The couple had moved into the place about a month ago. Currently Eighteen was showing Naruto the concept she and Bulma came up with while they were gone. It started with a video montage featuring action Bulma captured using Dr. Gero's old spy bots and some of Gero's old footage from over the years.

"In the year 767 A.D., a really smart guy thought it would be a good idea to launch an android, a cyborg and two idiots into space to save the world. By some miracle, it worked. After putting a stop to Armageddon, these four men disappeared into the underground of West City. Now wanted by the government, they survive as soldiers of fortune. If you have a problem, if absolutely, positively, no one else can help, and if you can find them...Maybe you can hire, Team Kai!"

It continued with video montage highlighting each of them individually before it came to an end.

"So what do you think?" asked Eighteen.

Naruto gave her a deadpan look, "I think this is your subtle way of saying, 'You need to get a real job' or you and Bulma trying to make a profit off our idiocy."

"Well, did you have any bright ideas for making money?" countered Eighteen.

Naruto shrugged, "Professional athlete, TV game show host, professional gambler, bounty hunter, an entourage, and stand up comedian are just a few. Oh, and Ninjadamus!"

Eighteen gave him an incredulous look, "Ninjadamus?"

"Well, you see..." began Naruto.

X-X-X-X-X-X-Naruto-Vision-X-X-X-X-X-X

The view of a sunset appeared with several people fading in and out of view asking the following questions.

"What is the meaning of life?"

"Who is my real father?"

"Am I ever going to find a husband?"

"Am I going to get sick?"

"Does God really exist?"

Then a female voice over spoke, "For centuries people have pondered the answers to life's great mysteries. Now, they all turn to one man. That man is Ninjadamus."

Naruto appears in the middle of a dimly lit stage in front of a live studio audience. He's dressed in orange monk-like robes and holding a staff while sporting a ridiculously long beard.

"You, sir." said Naruto pointing out into the audience.

A short bald man stood up and asked, "Ninjadamus, why did Itachi Uchiha really kill his clan?"

Naruto answered right way, "Itachi Uchiha killed his clan because their first act of rebellion against the hidden leaf village, was to destroy a caravan of pocky merchants. He only left his brother alive so that one day he could claim his eyes and enjoy pocky for all eternity. Next!"

"Ninjadamus, was Frieza a guy or a girl?" asked a woman from the front row.

Naruto paused a moment before responding, "Frieza was a post-op lesbian transvestite. You, sir."

A tall bearded man on the left side rose form his seat, "Ninjadamus, why do the people of Earth like Hercule so much?"

"The people of Earth, love Hercule because he makes the WWE look like an Uchiha Brother's family reunion." answered Naruto.

He then started making bizarre gestures and hand signals before suddenly vanishing in a puff of smoke as the female voice over spoke again, "Now there is one man you can turn to for the answers to life's great mysteries. That man is Ninjadamus."

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-End-Naruto-Vision-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

Eighteen rolled her eyes, "When do you have the time to think up crap like that?"

Naruto shrugged, "My clones get bored. But, I can work with this. You've essential put me back in the ninja business."

"I didn't even think of it that way..."

"So, you really just wanted the boatload of cash from a reality TV deal." deadpanned Naruto.

Eighteen sighed contently, "The preliminary contract offer had so many zeros..."

Naruto let out a chuckle, "Yeah, but that's going to have to put on hold for bit. I've got to do some serious training with the Spirit King."

Eighteen narrowed her eyes at him, "How long?"

"Not long! I'll use that special training room, Goku told me about before. A year of training in only a day!" replied Naruto.

She gave him a pleased smile, "Good answer."

Naruto rolled his eyes, "I've got better things to do then hanging around with some crazy bird."

"Yeah, like having a baby." replied Eighteen.

Naruto suddenly looked like a deer frozen in the headlights, "Huh?"

"I want to have a baby soon." clarified Eighteen as if was no big deal.

Naruto wasn't letting it slide, "Now hold on a minute! That's a _huge_ life altering decision. I'm not the type of guy to jump up and go make life altering decisions at the drop of a hat. We should take _at least_ two to three months to plan something like this out. We've only been together for six months and married for two, this decision requires some serious thought!"

Eighteen stood up front the couch and stripped down to nothing before crawling into Naruto's lap and sultrily whispering into his ear, "Let's...make...a...baby!"

In flash they were gone from the couch and into the bedroom with Naruto clad in only his boxers.

"Did I say two to three months? I meant two to three minutes. Now, let's make a baby!" exclaimed Naruto before pulling Eighteen in for a kiss.

_'Too easy.'_ thought the blond android with an inward smirk.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

Over the next few days, the word was spread out to the rest of the Z fighters about what Seventeen dubbed, 'The Great Space Adventure'. Everyone took up old habits, getting themselves into shape, but most only committed to being ready in case the fight was brought to the earth. Only a full commitment from Piccolo and delayed one from Goku and Gohan due to Chichi's pregnancy. The two were stuck on Earth until the baby was born. A week later Naruto and Seventeen entered the hyperbolic time chamber, Seventeen to train more in his own recently unlocked abilities and Naruto to learn under the Kaze no Seirei-Ō . As the various members of Earth's Special Forces began their preparations, the legion of the third eye launched their first strike on the galaxy.

Despero stood on the edge of the roof of the main towers of his headquarters overlooking Kalanor, "Soon, the name Despero will be known throughout the cosmos..."

One of his generals walked out onto the roof with new information for his leader, "My Lord, the new influx of resources have been fully integrated into our system. The preparations are complete, we may begin the next phase at your leisure."

"Excellent, the time as come for us to begin our conquest! Have everyone gather at the center of the temple." ordered Despero.

"Right away my Lord." replied the general.

"There's a new order coming to the galaxy. It is not you Cooler, but me, who will rule the universe!" declared the tyrant.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

The upper levels of the central Kalanorian temple where filled to the brim with men, women, and children dressed in ceremonial robes. Scantly clad priestesses stood on the outskirts of the lower level of the temple while soldiers were position in single file lines surrounding the central pit of fire containing the flame of Pitar. In the middle of it all was Despero standing in front the flame pit with his hands outstretched and head bowed as he chanted a prayer, "Oh, great flame of Pitar! The time is at hand, grant us your blessing and infuse me with your power, so that I may carry out your will."

The flame flared and tendril of the bluish white fire stretched out, twisted, bending and enveloping around Despero. His body seemingly absorbed the flame as it became an aura around him, "Together we will transform Kalanor into a paradise and spread the light of your flame to the ends of the universe."

The flame aura around his body subsided and he lifted his head to face the masses, "It begins now."

"ALL HAIL DESPERO! DESPERO IS THE BEGINNING! DESPERO IS THE END! DESPERO IS ALL!" chanted the people of Kalanor.

"Prepare yourselves now to receive the glorious gift that is the true essence of the flame of Pitar! Open yourselves to its will!" commanded Derspero.

A blue spiral column of energy rose around the flame before beams of energy shout out from the pillar in every direction passing through the assembled soldiers and imbuing them with power. They all became enveloped in a blue flame aura and slowly began to ascend to the skies as the roof opened up above them.

"Go! The conquest begins now!" declared Despero. "Emblazon my will across the cosmos!"

The legions of soldiers poured out into the sky and shot off up through the atmosphere into space.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

While awaiting the emergence of Naruto and Seventeen of the time chamber, Piccolo and Goku were up at the lookout discussing the situation facing them as they took a break from sparring.

"This unlike anything we've ever faced before. Knocking down a single or a few strong opponents is one thing, but we're trying to take down a couple entire criminal organizations. Even if new wipe out all the current threats there are no guarantees." stated Piccolo.

"Like when I took down the red ribbon army as a kid, but Gero came back to bite us in the ass later." remarked Goku. "We have to do something though, if we let them run wild, they'll eventually become a threat to the earth."

"Exactly, the usual methods just aren't going to cut it this time. We need something more." declared Piccolo.

Mr. Popo suddenly scrambled out of the interior of the lookout, "Come quickly, they're coming out of the hyperbolic time chamber!"

"Isn't it a little early?" questioned Dende. "It hasn't been a full day yet."

"I heard strange sounds coming from inside the chamber. I believe they're ready to come out." replied Mr. Popo as they followed him over to the entrance.

They stopped once they reached the door as the heard it unlock and it slowly creaked open. Suddenly the lookout was hit with a powerful gust of wind. The chandeliers hanging overhead rattled violently, and the trees and plants whipped around haphazardly from the current. There was sudden pressure in the air around them, but then it vanished as quickly as it came along with the wind. They all stared at the door with great anticipation as two sets of footsteps were heard coming closer and closer. The figure of Seventeen emerged, his clothing ripped and torn in various places and his red bandanna now wrapped over his head. Naruto quickly followed the black gi he entered with shredded in various places and bandages littered all over his arms in legs. However, the most notable thing about the blond now was his eyes, his blue eyes seemed even more vibrant than before.

"Your energy is incredible!" exclaimed Goku as he sensed Naruto's power.

"No time to chat, I have somewhere to be. Seventeen can explain." stated Naruto as moved to take off.

"What's the big rush?" asked Goku.

Naruto snorted, "My rush is the same reason why you're wife ended up pregnant after you went into the chamber."

Goku blushed and sheepishly scratched the back of his head as wind swirled around the blond before he vanished from the lookout.

"What the hell happened in there?" asked Piccolo.

Seventeen shook his head, "It was insanity, I thought I was going to lose my mind in there."

"You had that much trouble with the chamber?" questioned Dende.

"It wasn't even the chamber though," responded Seventeen as he took a glance towards the spot Naruto just vanished from. "It was him."

* * *

_**The moment of Truth is nearly at hand. After a year of unseen training, Naruto and Seventeen have emerged from the hyperbolic time chamber. Do the hardened Ninja and Android duo have what strength necessary to take down a laundry list of villains with control of the universe squarely in their sites? Stay tuned for the next action packed edition of Ninja of Kais.**_


	23. Interlude: Revenge of the Tuffles

**Disclaimer: **I don't own anything

* * *

**Interlude: Revenge of the Tuffles  
**

With the combined stamina of the blond husband and wife duo, it wasn't until several days later that Naruto resurfaced to the world at large. As they walked into Capsule Corp together with a goofy-grin plastered on Naruto's face, Mrs. Briefs commented on how Eighteen just seemed to be absolutely glowing and asked her what type of moisturizer she used on her face. A preemptive elbow to gut, cut off whatever lewd comment was on the verge of blurting out of Naruto's mouth. He gave his wife a look that said, 'You know it's true', which she ignored as they passed through the kitchen. The Saiyan prince paused mid bite in his morning breakfast free-for-all with the arrival of visitors.

Vegeta took a long look at Naruto, trying to gauge his strength after his trip into the hyperbolic time chamber. Unable to get a read with the blond suppressing his power, Vegeta focused his glare on Eighteen and let out a grunt of annoyance, "I can't believe they're letting the idiot ninja and the tin woman breed. This planet is going straight to hell in hand basket."

With his customary polite morning greeting out the way, he furiously dove back into his meal.

Bulma rolled her eyes at him from across the table where she was feeding Trunks, "At least he has better manners than Goku. He didn't talk with his mouth full."

Naruto looked at his wife and shrugged, "I don't speak Saiyan very well, but I think severity of the insult means congratulations."

"Bulma, you should write these things down. You could start a daily comic strip." quipped Eighteen.

Bulma let out a snicker as she caught on, "Move over Hagar the Horrible, here comes The Barbarian Prince! Oh by the way, my Dad said he something he wanted you to try out, Naruto."

Naruto quickly excused himself, and made his way down towards Dr. Brief's lab while Vegeta departed to the gravity room, leaving the two women in the kitchen. Naruto found the blue haired scientist indulging is his own morning ritual.

Taking a sip from his coffee mug, the older man let out a sigh of contentment, "Nothing really starts off the day like a sip from a fresh cappuccino."

"What's up Doc?" greeted Naruto with a smirk.

"Ah! Naruto my friend, how goes things?" replied Dr. Briefs.

"Pretty damn awesome!" responded Naruto with a grin. "Bulma said you had something for me to test out?"

"Yes, I did!" he reached into the drawer of his desk and pulled out a box of capsules. "Thanks to the technology you recovered from Gero's laboratory, I've been able to revolutionize your weaponry. You can channel you energy into weapons to make them as durable and effective as any other type of attack."

"Sweet! Ninja tactics with weapons are back in business!" exclaimed Naruto as he popped open one of the capsules. "Kunai, shuriken, fuuma shuriken... Sweet! Explosive notes! How did you pull that off?"

Dr. Briefs eyes lit up as he recalled that particular break through, "Instead of seals, their imprinted with a thin layer of metal that absorbs your energy to charge it. A rather ingenious idea I came up with while..."

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

Out it the woods near the Son Residence, Goku hefted a pile of lumber over his shoulder before calling out deeper into the forest, "Come on, Gohan! We need to hurry back, so we can take your mother to her doctor's appointment."

The young hybrid quickly emerged from the trees with a frown on his face. The bulk of his pile of wood had a sickly grey color, not normally found in the woodlands of the 439 Mountain Area.

"But, I didn't find much good fire wood. Most of it is all dead. The whole forest looks likes it's been contaminated with something." informed Gohan. "It's not just here either, there's been a problem with forests and vegetation suddenly dieing out all over the past few days."

Goku scratched his chin as he pondered the odd conundrum, "Well, we are going Bulma's for her check-up. Maybe she knows what's going on."

Gohan nodded, "Alright, I'll head to the lookout and see if Dende knows anything. I'll meet you at Bulma's."

"Tell Piccolo and Mr. Popo, I said Hi!" added Goku with a wave.

Gohan nodded before raising his fingers to his forehead and vanishing. Goku super sped back to the front of their house and dumped the fire wood in a pile off to the side.

"Where's Gohan?" asked ChiChi as she stepped out of the house.

"He went on ahead." replied Goku.

His wife pouted as she rubbed her belly, "I have no idea why you taught him that technique. It was hard enough to keep track of that boy when he could simply fly away from his studies. This one doesn't get to learn any off those things until he's much older!"

A small smile formed on Goku's face, "Hopefully, he won't have too."

He brought his finger to his forehead and both husband and pregnant wife vanished from sight.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

"Dende! Piccolo! Anyone up here!" called out Gohan as he appeared on the lookout.

Mr. Popo stepped away from the plants he was watering and greeted him, "Hello, Gohan. Dende is currently in other world meeting with King Yemma."

Piccolo merged from the shadows to greet his old pupil as well, "Hey, Gohan. Good to see you, although I wish it was under better circumstances."

"So, you know something about what's going on?" asked Gohan.

"Yeah, with Kami apart of me, I can see everything that's going on just like he used to." stated Piccolo. "It seems before we go gallivanting across space again, we've got some things to handle on the home front first."

"Yes, Dende discovered that a gas not native to the Earth has been dispersing throughout the atmosphere. According to King Yemma, it is called Destron gas." explained Mr. Popo. "It destroys all living cellular tissue."

"That might explain the death of the woods and plants." surmised Gohan.

Piccolo added something even more shocking, "Even more powerful beings like ourselves could die in seventy days."

Gohan eyes widened as he stammered, "Se-se-venty days?"

Piccolo grunted in affirmation, "Yeah, we need to get to the bottom of this now."

"Then come with me. Maybe Bulma can make some more sense of all this." replied Gohan.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

Bulma was already on the case as a news report had interrupted the television program she had been watching with Eighteen. They reported a dangerous illness or toxin had heavily contaminated several areas around the globe and were warning people to stay indoors in some areas, and evacuate in others. Leaving Trunks with Mrs. Briefs, Bulma and Eighteen headed to her lab to compile all information that could be found. The news report played in the background as the two women typed away at the computer, "The CDC has sent out a warning for all people to stay indoors until further notice. It is confirmed as some sort of toxin in the air, however the contaminant remains unknown at this time..."

Naruto entered her lab first, quickly followed by Gohan and Piccolo appearing via instant transmission. The pair arriving from the lookout proceeded to explain the information discovered by Dende filling in some detail gaps for Bulma.

"That seventy days is spot on based on my calculations." informed Bulma.

"The gas output has been increasing by the hour. By the end of the day, the entire worlds air supply will be fully polluted." added Eighteen.

Before Piccolo could respond, Goku teleported into the lab.

"I'm up to speed, I took Chi-chi and the Ox-king up to the lookout so she and the baby could be safe up there where the air is clean since the Earth's major air currents are disperse from the bottom of the lookout." informed Goku. "Dende, said the gas is spreading too fast. We need to do something about it now."

Bulma turned away from the computer, "From what the satellites can pull up, the gas is being emitted from machines somewhere on the ground. If we can find the locations, we can at least stop more Destron gas from polluting the air until I can come up with a counter agent to neutralize it."

"Bulma, the gas is pumping out from four central locations." informed Eighteen.

"Okay, let me see." said Bulma as she turned back to the computer and pulled up the coordinates on a map. "The four spots are the Poco Poco Volcano, the pyramid at Grand Apron, the impenetrable wall at the Land of Ice, and the center of the Western Desert. If you split up, you should be able to wipe them out quickly."

"That still doesn't explain who's behind all this. Those four locations seem almost random." stated Piccolo.

"We can deal with that after we get rid of the gas." responded Gohan.

"You contact the others in case more of these things pop up after we're gone." suggested Naruto.

"Let Vegeta know too." added Goku.

Eighteen had a better idea, "Take these wireless ear pieces instead. Your teleportation skills will let you get to any other locations faster than calling them up. Besides, do you really want Vegeta's help with this?"

Piccolo let out a snort of amusement, "Good point."

The four exited Capsule Corp ready to move off to the locations when they were ambushed by a pair of bizarre lizard-like creatures. One was a rotund blue scaled creature with frog eyes, while the other had red scales with a grey underbelly, horns out the side of his head, and grey mane flowing down it's back. They both charged Goku, who dodged their telegraphed punch and kick as he transformed into a Super Saiyan.

He brought his arms back to his sides going for the quick finish, "We don't have time for this! Ka-me-ha-me-huh?"

Just as he was about to complete the blast he suddenly lost control of it and the energy dissipated into nothing. The two creatures charged again, putting him on the defensive as he blocked and avoided punches and kicks. Managing to fling them away from himself to create space, he powered up another Kamehameha, only for it to fail again.

"This isn't the time to be fooling around!" growled Piccolo as he jumped in front of Goku powering up his own attack. "Special Beam Cannon! What the hell?"

His own attack died on his finger tips, forcing a transformed Gohan and Naruto jumped in front to knock the charging duo back with a pair of spinning kicks.

"It's the gas, it must be distorting our ability to use energy attacks!" asserted Gohan.

"Fine with me!" shouted Naruto as he pulled out a pair of kunai and vanished in a blur. Before the two creatures could even blink, their heads were severed from their shoulders. Naruto reappeared behind them as their bodies dissolved into puffs of smoke.

"With our abilities hampered, we should take them two at a time." suggested Piccolo. "Perhaps destroying the machines with lessen the gas enough to restore our control."

Goku nodded in agreement, "Naruto and I will take Grand Apron and the volcano. You and Gohan take the Desert and the Land of Ice."

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

Naruto and Goku appeared at Grand Apron, which was an old pyramid structure sitting high atop a tall rock plateau in the middle of the southwestern continent. The duo approached the base of the large grey pyramid and walked over to where they could see a large crack in the foundation. Getting close to the crack to see what was inside, the were rewarded with a burst dark gas seeping out the crack.

"Man that stuff stinks." grunted Naruto between coughs.

Goku nodded in agreement as he pounded his chest, "This must be the place alright."

Once they stopped coughing, they gave each other nod before simultaneously unleashing a pair of rock shattering kicks that brought down the wall of the pyramid. They jumped back as the massive hole opened up to reveal a strange red machine shaped like a pod, that was sucking in air and spewing it back out with contaminated gas.**  
**

Goku and Naruto gave each other a look before grinning and shouting, "Let's break it!"

"Not so fast saiyan!" a pair voices shouted out from behind them.

They were forced to leap to the side to avoid a pair of red energy blasts shot at them. The second pair of blast deflected away by the Super Saiyan and the shinobi.

"Who are you!" called out Goku.

The attackers revealed themselves to be a pair of creatures nearly identical to the two they'd fought earlier. The only difference now was that the fat one was orange and the horned one was green.

"Destroy the machine! I'll handle these two!" barked Naruto as he blurred forward and knocked the air out of the monster pair with a couple of knees to the gut. He quickly went to follow up with a finishing move.

**"Double Rasengan!"** The pair of spiraling spheres vanished from his hands almost as quickly as they appeared. "Shit I forgot!"

Adapting quickly a pair of Kunai slid out of his sleeves and into his hands. As he blurred past the charging monsters who had regrouped, and the pair suddenly found themselves without heads before bursting into puffs of dark smoke.

A strong punch from Goku then eliminated the gas pumping machine and the pair immediately felt the results.

"I can feel my energy stabilizing more." observed Goku.

Naruto nodded in agreement, "Once we destroy the rest of these machines our abilities should return to normal."

The two soon vanished on to their next target.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

In the desert of the far west, Gohan and Piccolo were going toe-to-toe with another pair of the creatures. Gohan engaging the horned purple one while Piccolo pummeled the fat green one. They two soon felt the effects of Goku and Naruto eliminating the first machine.

"Let's finish this up Gohan! The sooner we destroy these machines, the sooner our powers go back to normal!" commanded Piccolo.

The young Super Saiyan nodded in agreement as he blocked an incoming punch before responding with a powerful blow to his opponents gut. Pouring on the speed, he started hammering away at the monster from all angles. The beast was unable to put up any sort of resistance as Gohan pounded away without mercy. Concluding his assault with and uppercut that leveled his foe, Gohan decided to put the creature out of it's misery as he raised his arms above his head.

**"Masenko...Ha!" **The blast of energy obliterated the creature entirely. At the same time a few sand dunes over, Piccolo finished off his opponent with a massive mouth blast.

The pair of friends then turned their attention to the destron gas machine sitting in the middle of the desert. Each fired an energy blast from their hands that connected with the machine simultaneously and obliterated it. After seeing the machine was nothing but scrap metal, Gohan instant transmissioned them away to their next destination.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

Goku and Naruto's next destination was the Poco Poco Volcano, where halfway up the side of the volcano, the Destron gas machine sat embedded in hardened volcanic rock. A single red version of the fat creature greeted them this time, laughing up a storm upon their arrival. The duo stared at him with a pair of confused expressions, unable to figure out what was so funny.

"Hahahaha! Land Mines are set up all around here! Adios amigos! You'll die before you ever get close to the machine! Hahahaha! Hahahahaha!" taunted the creature.

Naruto merely quirked an eyebrow in response as he spotted a landmine set up just to the left of the beast. Calmly retrieving a kunai, he fired at the landmine and activated it. He and Goku rose into the air to avoid the chain reaction set off by Naruto. Explosions rocked the side of the mountain before everything went up in one big blast. Once the smoke cleared, the Destron gas machine was destroyed and the monster was burnt to a crisp.

Goku let out a chuckle at the sight of him, "That guy sort of reminded me of Hercule."

Naruto let out an amused snort, "The only difference is he has better hair."

They then teleported to the final target, where they sensed Gohan and Piccolo.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

Piccolo and Gohan had ended up near the south pole at the Land of Ice. The hybrid Super Saiyan and Namek stood in front of thick, seemingly impenetrable wall of ice that blocked them off from the final Destron gas machine.

"I guess this what the call they permanent ice wall." observed Piccolo.

Gohan nodded, "Yeah this is the one, ice that will never melt away."

"There's no point in continuing on! You're both going to die here!" echoed a raspy voice.

Suddenly waves of the creatures they'd previously faced started sprouting up through the ice and attacking one after another. Piccolo growled in annoyance as about five of the them attacked him from all angles. Using his excellent speed he managed to avoid every single blow before turning the tables on them by expanding his size to gigantic proportions and crushing them between his fists. Gohan decided to even out the numbers, forming a dozen shadow clones to pound them into submission. When Goku and Naruto arrived, they found the duo had the situation in hand with the creatures and turned their attention to the machine. Goku raised an arm to blast right through it, but Naruto raised up an arm to stop him. Naruto inhaled deeply before exhaling a spiraling blast of wind from his mouth. The drilling air bullet cut right through the ice easily and destroyed the final gas machine. The remaining monsters went up in puffs of dark smoke with the destruction of the machine.

"Well, that was one big pain in the ass." grunted Piccolo in annoyance.

"Now what?" asked Gohan.

"You guys aren't done yet!" screeched Bulma's voice over their earpieces. "Another one of those machines just popped up here in the city. You need to hurry!"

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

The four arrived in the middle of downtown West City to find Vegeta already on the scene. He was hovering above the antennae of a radio tower where the gas machine was pumping away.

"Looks like there was no need for me to show up after all." grunted Vegeta. "I'll at least make it worth all the trouble."

The Saiyan Prince unleashed a Big Bang Attack right at the machine, triggering an huge explosion. However, when the smoke cleared, the machine was unharmed, as a force field had sprung up to protect it.

"You won't be able to destroy it that easily." echoed a group of familiar sounding voices.

Looking up the fighters found five blobs of the dark gas hovering over them. The clouds of gas took shape solidifying into the figures of a group of villains they'd long thought to be dead. Turles, Lord Slug, King Cold, Frieza, and Dr. Gero looked down upon them with manic gleams in their eyes.

Frieza cackled with glee, "Finally, I exact revenge on these monkeys once and for all!"

"It's about time this Saiyan scum was wiped off the face of the Earth!" snarled Lord Slug.

"How is this even possible!" exclaimed Piccolo.

"Who cares! These fools are no match for us!" declared Vegeta.

"Let's send them back to wherever they came from." confidently stated Gohan.

The battle lines were drawn as they all paired off: Vegeta with Frieza, Dr. Gero with Goku, Turles with Gohan, Piccolo with Lord Slug, and Naruto with King Cold.

"How dare you side with these despicable Saiyans, Piccolo! You're an insult to our race!" sneered Lord Slug.

"Your race? You've got to be kidding me. Looks like you've gone senile since you died!" bellowed Piccolo.

"Kukuku! A chance to wipe out these damn monkeys once and for all is too good to pass up!" gloated Frieza.

"Indeed son, Indeed." agreed King Cold.

"I don't know how you were revived, but why would you team up with people who want to destroy your own kind!" growled Gohan.

Turles laughed in response, "This is revenge plain and simple! I could careless about the reasoning you miserable brat!"

Gohan shot up after Turles, burying his fist into his gut. The young Super Saiyan followed with a roundhouse kick to the face before flipping in the air and sending Turles slamming into the concrete below with a vertical kick. He then fired off an energy blast for good measure to finish him off. To his shock, after being consumed by the attack, Turles simple dissolved into Destron gas before reforming and beginning the fight a new.

Naruto wasn't having much better luck. The blond had busted out the Z-sword and proceeded to slice and dice King Cold every which way only for the old tyrant to reform from the Destron smoke every single time. Piccolo fared no better with Lord Slug, the old nemesis reforming after a multiple Hellzone Grenade assaults. Vegeta was having too much fun pounding Frieza into to pulp to care that he reformed.

As he rocked Dr. Gero with a right handed hay-maker, Goku verbalized what they all where thinking, "I don't know if you guys have noticed it, but..."

"These guys aren't the real deal?" quipped Naruto as he grabbed King Cold in a headlock and pounded away at his face.

"Hard not to notice Kakarot! These imposters are nothing but cheap imitations! Their personalities aren't even right!" yelled Vegeta as he smashed Frieza's face into the roof of the parking garage.

"We still have to find a way to kill these things!" yelled Piccolo as he body slammed Lord Slug into the side of a building.

"Blasting them into oblivion works for me!" declared Vegeta as he obliterated Frieza with his Gallick Gun. To his surprise, his foe was able to reform from the destron gas in the air seconds after being destroyed.

"I don't think it's going to be that easy!" shouted Goku as he sent Dr. Gero crashing into the ground with a double axe handle.

Naruto pulled out a fuuma shuriken and flung it right at King Cold, taking his head off. The spinning blade continued on to his actual target, the Destron machine, cutting right through the protective barrier and destroying the machine. With the machine destroyed, King Cold was unable to reform himself and he let out a ghostly wail as he dissolved into nothing.

Gohan shook his head, "The simplest solution is usually the right one."

Turning on Turles, he blasted the supposed Saiyan hating Saiyan into oblivion with a Masenko. Lord Slug soon found his head blown via a Special Beam Cannon courtesy of Piccolo. Vegeta ended Frieza in style with a Big Bang Attack while Goku behead Dr. Gero with a Destructo Disk. With each death blow, the villains all let out the same ghostly wail as King Cold as they dissolved into nothing.

"Damn you bastards! Do not underestimate our grudge!" cried out Dr. Gero before he was destroyed.

"Grudge? What grudge?" muttered Piccolo.

Gohan scratched his head in confusion, "That was weird. It was if they were ghosts or something."

'Your not far off Gohan.' echoed the voice of King Kai as he spoke to them telepathically.

"King Kai? You know something about who is behind all this?" questioned Goku.

'Those five where the ghost warriors of a man seeking revenge against the Saiyan race.' replied King Kai.

"Revenge for what exactly?" grunted Vegeta.

'The man behind all this is Dr. Raichi, the last of the Tuffles.' informed King Kai.

Vegeta scoffed at the absurdity of it all, "It figures one of their kind would try this type of cowardly assault to end a Saiyan."

Naruto was completely lost, "Who are the Tuffles exactly?"

"Name sounds familiar, but I'm drawing a blank here." muttered Goku.

Vegeta rolled his eyes, "Figures you'd still be ignorant of your own heritage after all this time Kakarot. I've told you this story before. The Tuffles are the former inhabitants of Planet Plant. The same planet we Saiyans inhabited before it was destroyed by Frieza. They were the physically smaller and weaker, but more scientifically advanced society in contrast to the nomadic warrior nature of the Saiyan race. The Saiyans, led by my father, King Vegeta, went to war with Tuffles. Despite our superior fighting skills, the Tuffles managed to keep the upper hand in the war thanks to their technology. Unfortunately for them, during a key battle a full moon happen to fall for the first time in a hundred years and we eradicated them completely. The planet was renamed Planet Vegeta in my father's honor."

'Dr. Raichi managed to survive that final battle as he was implementing a plan to unleash one final weapon to defeat the Saiyans. He escaped in a capsule to reach the Dark Planet, a world at the edge of the universe. Ever since he has been plotting to eradicate the Saiyans. Those copies of Frieza and the others you just face were his Ghost Warriors.' informed King Kai. 'You have only stopped him in this city. You must face him at the Dark Planet or else he will continue to unleash his Destron gas machines and even more ghost warriors upon the Earth.'

"Got it." replied Goku with a nod.

'Ah there it is! He's been able to get very close you! The Dark Planet has settled just outside the asteroid belt.' informed King Kai.

"Yeah, I can sense it too." replied Naruto. "You four go greet our visitor, I'm going to prepare a little surprise from him."

"Where's he going?" questioned Gohan after the blond teleported away.

"He's going to do something about the gas first. Let's go!" commanded Goku.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

Naruto remembered that Goku said all the Earth's major air currents flowed from just beneath the Lookout and that's exactly where he teleported too. Hovering at the point just below the floating structure, he stretch his arms out to the side. Calling upon the spirits of the wind to aid him, blue specks of light appeared around his body as the spirits answered his summons. The spirits all scattered across the winds of the earth as he continued to call upon more and more. As the wind spirits flooded out across the air of the Earth, the haze caused by the Destron gas slowly began to dissipate. Conversely a small dark orb of the gas started forming in front of Naruto.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

"Something is happening with the gas. It's starting to thin out pretty much everywhere while accumulating all at one point." Eighteen alerted Bulma.

"Where is it going?" asked Bulma, as she paused in her work on making a neutralizing compound.

"It's high up in the sky." responded Eighteen.

Bulma scratched her chin as she pondered what this meant, "They must have done something, but this is good. Once I finish making the counter agent, we only have to go to one spot to get rid of all the gas."

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

Atop the cliffs of desolate wasteland on the small dwarf planet that was the dark planet, sat the fortress of Dr. Raichi. Inside the fortress Dr. Raichi hovered over a pit with hundreds upon hundreds of dark brown spherical orbs contained inside of it. Raichi was an old man with pale blue skin and a long main of dark gray hair flowing down his back and full beard covering his face. His right eye was completely white while his left was red. His forehead and the top of his head was deformed with several baseball size growths sticking out of it. Dressed in a white and brown outfit, he watched a few of the orbs started to glow and suck in Destron gas.

"Hehehe...Our hatred has grown even stronger." He spoke aloud. All of the orbs suddenly started glow with a purple color, "There is much more to do. Soon our grudge energy will reach maximum and the ultimate warrior of revenge shall be born!"

He suddenly paused in his plotting and looked up from the orbs as he sensed the arrival of the four intruders into his lair, "Saiyans...you've finally come."

Dropping down from above, Goku, Vegeta, Gohan, and Piccolo all landed on the small walkway in front of him.

Goku narrowed his eyes at him, "You're the one who's controlling the Destron gas."

"Hehehe...Of course." replied a smirking Dr. Raichi. "I am the greatest of all Tuffle Scientists, Dr. Raichi! With my science I can inflict the ultimate revenge against the Saiyans on behalf of my people! Thanks to my greatest invention Hatchiyack, the ghost amplification device, I have lived on as a ghost to see this glorious day! Hahahaha!"

A look of understanding passed across Gohan's face, "This Hatchiyak, it's how you were able to Turles, Frieza and the others."

"Stop the Destron gas now! The people of Earth have done nothing to you!" yelled Goku.

Dr. Raichi laughed him off, "I don't care about the Earth. I will have my revenge! I'd planned for you to die quietly from the Destron gas, but finishing you off myself will be even better! All this you before is result of me collecting some life force from everyone with a grudge against the Saiyans and all other grudges that could be found! Today our dreams will be realized!"

As he ranted, Destron gas poured out from the orbs below him and fed into a green aura of energy that sprung up around his body. Once the gas stopped he flew towards his enemies. They all charged forward to attack Raichi, but when Vegeta struck first with a kick, a green spherical energy shield sprung up to block his attack, causing them all to drop back.

"Your pathetic power isn't enough to break this shield! Now go to die with the rest of your world!" proclaimed Raichi.

"This has nothing to do with the Earth! Leave them out of this!" shouted an angered Goku.

"I've had enough of you! That shield won't stop me! HAAAAA!" roared Gohan as his Super Saiyan aura sprung to life. Vegeta, Piccolo, and his father all followed his lead as they powered up. Gohan flew in first nailing the front shield with a right handed power punch. Vegeta and Piccolo hammered down on the top of the shield with a pair of vertical kicks, while Goku hit the left side with a left handed hay-maker. Each hit left cracks in the shield.

"Take this!" yelled Gohan as he dropped back and raised his arms up above his head to power up an attack.

**"MASENKO-HA!"** roared Gohan as he unleashed the massive yellow blast of energy.

"Fools!" shouted Dr. Raichi as the energy impacted his shield. To his surprise the attack left massive cracks in his shield before it completely shattered to pieces.

"You damn Saiyans!" growled Raichi. He didn't have much time to contemplate the loss of his defense as Vegeta followed up with the finisher.

**"FINAL FLASH!" **bellowed the Saiyan prince as he released the destructive blast of energy and it nailed Raichi head on.**  
**

"Damn you! Damn you all!" cursed Raichi as he was enveloped by the blast and dissolved into dark smoke before being completely vaporized into nothing. The attack shot right through the roof off into the atmosphere of the dark planet.

"You can put that one in the win column." declared a smirking a Vegeta as he landed on the floor in front of the others.

"It's unbelievable." muttered Goku. "To think that collecting other people's grudges brought him this far. He was only a ghost warrior himself."

Suddenly the laughter of the supposedly dead, Dr. Raichi echoed from the massive Hatchiyack machine in front of them, "HAHAHAHA!"

Their jaws dropped in shock as a blob smoke shot out of the machine and formed into the shape Dr. Raichi's head.

"Did you think I was done? That that was all I had?" mocked Dr. Raichi. "Fools! The Tuffles long standing grudge will not be vanquished so easily! Hatchiyack! Absorb my grudge and awaken your perfect form!"

Gohan couldn't believe the irony, "Absorbing power? Perfect form? You've got to be kidding me!"

"I've got a really bad feeling about this..." grunted Piccolo as the Hatchiyack machine glowed with a strange green light and started making all sorts of bizarre sounds. Goku gritted his teeth as he felt the wave of Ki now being emitted from the machine, and it only seemed to keep growing.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

King Kai's antennae perked up as he felt the energy emitting from the Hatchiyack machine, "I can't believe it! What a power...I've never felt anything like this before! It makes Cell look like a walk in the park! Naruto, you better hurry up! I don't think they can win this one without you!"

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

Back on Earth things were looking much better as Naruto and the spirits of the wind continued to collect the gas into one location. The various machines around the globe stopped pumping as the power of the Naruto and the wind was too much for them. They overtaxed themselves trying to replace the gas, Naruto was stealing away. Despite the amount of gas collected through the air, the sphere in front of Naruto remained compact in size, becoming larger than an Odama Rasengan. Down on the ground, the plant life started to reap the benefits of having clean air once again. Trees regained color and wilted flowers sprung back to life. The haze the formerly covered the plant was almost gone entirely.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

The power emitted from the Hatchiyack caused multiple tendrils of purple lightning to shoot out around Raichi's lair from the machine.

Vegeta who had been in slight awe when he first felt the energy out put, now grinned, "Looks like this finally got interesting!"

A green sphere of energy with sparks of purple lightning shooting off of it formed in front of the machine before expanding to a size that eclipsed the machine before retracting. As the energy receded it revealed a massive hulking android figure. It had a similar body structure to Freiza's second form. A red exoskeleton like armor covered it's upper torso, neck, forearms, lower legs, and feet. Large oval shaped gem-like orbs were embedded into the skin on its chest, on the wrist of above the back of the hands, the forehead, and at the ankles. Small slivers of the same material were on its knuckles. Pink skin covered the rest of it's body, except the abs and chin, which was dark red. It glared down upon Vegeta with solid yellow eyes.

"The ultimate instrument of revenge, go forth Hatchiyack!" called out the voice of Raichi.

"Die!" Before the Saiyan Prince could even register it moving, the Hatchiyack buried its fist into his gut. Vegeta let out a gasp of pain as he was sent skidding back along the ground towards the others.

"Vegeta!" exclaimed Goku. He had no time to aide him as the Hatchiyack was already charging them.

"All Saiyans must die!" It declared as it reappeared in the midst the three standing fighters. It nailed Goku and Gohan with punches to the face before turning to Piccolo.

"I'm not a Saiyan you stupid fuck!" yelled the Namek as he struck with a right handed hook.

"I don't care!" grunted the Hatchiyack, unfazed by the blow. It grabbed Piccolo by the shoulders and headbutted him. Piccolo let out a gasp of pain as he dropped to the floor.

"You stupid machine!" snarled a recovered Vegeta as he leaped to his feet and moved back to create some distance. "Chew on this! **FINAL FLASH!**"

Vegeta's patented finishing move made a direct hit on the Hatchiyack, who was floating in the air with its body facing away from Vegeta. When the smoke cleared from the explosion generated by the assault, the Hatchiyack was completely unharmed.

Vegeta was stunned, "Impossible! Not even a scratch!"

The Hatchiyack turned towards Vegeta and crossed it's arms in front of its chest as if assuming a defensive position. It's offensive intent became clear as his knuckles and the orbs on its wrists began to glow green as its energy skyrocketed. Vegeta continued to hover in the same spot, frozen in shock from his attack doing nothing.

**"Revenge Cannon!"** announced the Hatchiyack as the orbs on its forehead and chest started to glow as well, signalling its attack was fully powered.

"Vegeta! Get out of the way!" shouted Goku.

It was too late as the Hatchiyack released a massive green blast of energy that hit the Saiyan Prince head on. When the smoke cleared, Vegeta was hanging upside in a massive indentation in the wall, portions of his Saiyan armor in tatters. As the Hatchiyack admired its work, it was blindsided by a spinning kick from Gohan. Capitalizing on the opening, Gohan hammered away at his body with four punches before rocking the Hatchiyack with an uppercut. Flipping onto his hands, Gohan launched the Hatchiyack through air with double kick towards the waiting Goku and Piccolo.

**"Kamehameha!"**

**"Special Beam Cannon!"**

The pair of energy attacks connected at the same time, triggering a massive explosion. Before the smoke cleared a green blast of energy shot out of the smoke and nailed Gohan. The Hatchiyack reappeared in front of Goku and backhanded him into the ceiling before grabbing Piccolo by the throat and smashing him into to the floor.

"Time to Perish!" announced the Hatchiyack as it crossed it's arms in front of its body fired off another massive green blast of energy. The attack was diverted courtesy of a short burst of energy from Gohan. Snarling the Hatchiyack turns its attention to Gohan, powering up the same attack it used on Vegeta. The young Super Saiyan charged the creature head on, intent on putting a fist right through its face.

"Gohan!" yelled Goku in warning as he saw his son would not reach the Hatchiyack before it unleashed its attack. However, before the Hatchiyack could fire the blast, Piccolo appeared behind it. It paused in shock before the Namek struck with a powerful kick to the side of its face.

_'There! It was only for a moment, but when he stopped to defend, his energy disappeared!'_ thought Goku.

Gohan engaged the Hatchiyack in a fierce exchange of punches and kicks, taking several blows from the creature, but giving as good as he got in return. The Hatchiyack eventually put him on his heels with a powerful right handed hook, and went to charge up the Revenge Canon. Instead of attacking, Gohan waited it out, counting down the time until it released it's blast. Once it fired, he dodged the attack and Goku launched the Hatchiyack into the wall with a flying kick.

"Gohan, you figured it out right?" asked Goku.

Gohan nodded, "Yeah, when it charges for the full fifteen seconds it becomes vulnerable."

"Piccolo! Vegeta!" called out Goku. "When it gives us the chance, we're all going to have to hit it with everything we've got!"

With a mighty roar, the Hatchiyack charged at Gohan and Goku, unleashing a furious combination of punches and kicks. The Super Saiyan pair engaged the grudge machine in a defensive manner, blocking and avoiding the majority of its attacks. Fed up with not being able to hit them, the Hatchiyack flew back to create some space.

Goku smirked as the frustrated Hatchiyack crossed it arms in front of its body to power up the Revenge Cannon again, "Now!"

His Super Saiyan aura sprung to life as he powered a Kamehameha and started counting down, "One...Two...Three...Four"

Vegeta hovered in the air with his hands cupped in front of his body as he powered up the Final Flash, "...Five...Six...Seven...Eight..."

Piccolo stood with his hands positioned in front of him as he charged up a Light Grenade, "...Nine...Ten...Eleven..."

Gohan mimicked his father as he charged up a Kamehameha, "...Twelve...Thirteen! Go!"

"HAAAAA!" roared the four fighters as they unleashed the blasts. The four attacks all merged into one massive energy beam that was met head on by the Revenge Cannon unleashed by the Hatchiyack two seconds later. The Hatchiyack let out a roar as he tried to overwhelm their counter attack, but the four fighters hung tough and matched his energy.

"We need just one more push!" grunted Goku.

Right on cue, a loud bell-like screech came from behind them, they all turned their heads to see Naruto hovering in the air, holding a black version of the Rasenshuriken.

"Naruto!" exclaimed Goku with a grin.

"Here! You left this all back on earth! I thought you might like it back!** Destron Rasenshuriken!**" The dark version of Naruto's ultimate attack swallowed up the energy of Gohan, Goku, Vegeta, and Piccolo's attack, rapidly expanding in size before it reached the Hatchiyack's blast and shredded right through it.

"Impossible!" cried out the Hatchiyack as it was swallowed up by the attack and shredded to pieces, along with the final ghostly remains of Dr. Raichi as the Rasenshuriken began to expand.

"Let's go!" shouted Naruto as he grabbed onto Vegeta while Gohan grabbed Piccolo. Gohan and Goku raised their fingers to their forehead and they all teleported back to Earth.

As they vanished the Rasenshuriken continued expanding into a massive dark sphere of destruction, consuming everything in its wake. Within minutes it consumed the entirety of Dr. Raichi's fortress and continued to expand into the surface of the dark planet. Quakes triggered across the surface of the planet in response to the destruction, the sphere continued to grow, as if being fueled by reducing the tiny planet into space dust. Eventually it would expand until coming into contact with the planet's core, triggering a massive explosion that reduced the dark planet into a cloud of fine dust.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

King Kai had seen Naruto training with the Rasenshuriken before, but finally seeing it unleashed in battle was another thing all together, "That was incredible! I don't think anyone else has an attack capable of such chaotic destruction. He doesn't just over power you, he can rip you apart at the seams!"

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

Goku let out a sigh of relief as he reappeared with the others at the Lookout, "Phew! Glad that's over!"

"And with time to spare!" quipped Bulma as she and Eighteen walked up to them.

"What are you doing up here?" asked Goku.

"I made a neutralizing agent to get rid of the gas. We were tracking all the Destron gas where it was all collecting to a spot just below the lookout." replied Bulma. "Right as we got there Naruto and it all suddenly disappeared."

Naruto shrugged, "I thought that Raichi lost his stuff and he might want it back. It was no trouble at all."

Piccolo snorted, "Yeah, just your garden variety good Samaritan act."

* * *

A little break chapter to get myself back in the flow of this story before jumping back into the little saga I have planned.


	24. Return of the Body Snatcher

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything

* * *

**Return of the Body Snatcher  
**

Life returned to some semblance of normalcy in the weeks following the debacle with the Destron Gas, Dr. Raichi, and the Hatchiyack. Well, as close to as what could be considered normal for Goku, Naruto, and company. With the wife of the Earth raised Saiyan rapidly approaching the delivery date of the couple's second child, and the wife of the shinobi early in the pregnancy of their first child, their lives could hardly be classified as normal. At the insistence of Bulma, the only person as stubborn as herself, Chichi temporarily moved her in Capsule Corp for the final months of her pregnancy. She realized she was simply asking too much of herself while being pregnant. The move also motivated by the 'Team Kai' business venture. Chichi jumped at the opportunity to get her husband a well paying job that made use of his only skills. No way would their second son be having an unemployed father as a role model, not on her watch! Officially Team Kai, now consisted of Goku and Naruto as full time workers. Sixteen spent most of his time in nature or at the lookout, Seventeen would come and go as he pleased, and Vegeta...was well, Vegeta. He would only show up for something he found interesting.

With all the resources Capsule Corporation provided, Gohan settled into a nice routine that balanced his studies and his training. The young teen had struck up and odd friendship with Vegeta. The proud Saiyan protested loudly at the boy intruding upon his gravity room. His annoyance quickly dissipated after finding that Gohan boy didn't say much to bother him, nor did he Lord his superior strength over the Saiyan Prince. He simply put his nose to the grind stone and got his work in with no complaints, something Vegeta could respect. Deep down the proud full blooded warrior began to enjoy having his quiet presence there training along beside him, reminding him of his time on the hyperbolic time chamber with his son from the future.

With Gohan was spending the day with his grandfather and Baby Trunks out with his grandparents, the current day was essentially a holiday for the married members of the Z fighters for two first being their wives went shopping. The second being they weren't forced to go with them.

"Hey, what ever happened to your brother?" asked Bulma as woman behind the counter handed her a bracelet to try on. "I haven't seen him around lately."

Eighteen let out a sigh of annoyance, "He's got a steady girlfriend now. Supposedly, she is the woman of his dreams since she's two women in one. Every time he calls talking all this mushy crap it makes me want to puke."

"Does this amazing mystery woman have name?" inquired Chichi as she put on another pair of earrings.

Eighteen shrugged, "Something with an L. I could have sworn he said Lunch, but that couldn't have been right. Lass? Lacey? Lana?"

A stray thought struck Bulma, "Was it Launch by any chance?"

Eighteen nodded, "Yeah Launch, that's it."

Bulma couldn't help but laugh, "It is a small freaking world. Launch used to date Tien before he went off and became a total hermit."

"A girl like Launch, with your brother..." murmured Chichi. "You know, somehow I can see how they fit together."

"Yeah, a bit like her and Naruto." agreed Bulma.

Eighteen rolled her eyes, "I wasn't that obvious."

Bulma grinned, "Ha! The minute he saved you from beating sucked up by Cell, you were on his trail like a blood hound."

"Like you were with Vegeta after they all came back from space?" taunted Chichi.

"You have no room to talk! You staked a claim on Goku when you were twelve!" snapped Bulma.

"And it was good foresight!" declared Chichi.

Eighteen sweat-dropped as the pair delved into another argument,_ 'I need to find quieter female friends.'_

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

Back at capsule corp Vegeta, Goku, and Naruto all made use of their free morning by feasting on the glorious breakfast prepared by Bulma's mother before she left.

As he let loose a loud belch to conclude his morning feast, a stray thought struck Goku, "Hey, Naruto? If Eighteen is an Android, how is it possible for her to get pregnant?"

"You do remember that Seventeen and Eighteen started out as humans?" reminded Naruto. "Gero turned them in Androids, so technically they're more like cyborgs."

"You're such a fool, Kakarot." scoffed Vegeta. "Even I knew that."

Goku shrugged, "It was a valid question."

"Only for someone whose lost a million brain cells thanks to his woman's frying pan." retorted Vegeta.

"Living with the pan is a give and take relationship. It gives good food, and takes away brain cells." joked Naruto. "With Chichi's cooking, I'd almost say it's worth it. I wish Eighteen could cook like that."

"Your woman isn't a shrieking harpy." reminded Vegeta. "Bad cooking must be the tradeoff for not having a woman who's an emotional roller coaster."

Goku defended his wife, "Chichi isn't as bad as Bulma. She yells a lot and she can't cook."

"Bulma's super smart and good looking. She's also filthy rich. The yelling and lack of cooking skills balance her out." reasoned Naruto.

"So, who wins?" questioned Vegeta.

"Right now Goku is winning." answered Naruto.

The Saiyan pumped his fist before Naruto continued, "But that is only because Trunks is still in diapers and my kid isn't even born yet."

"So, what you're saying is that whoever produces the most powerful offspring picked the best woman?" questioned Vegeta.

"No it's the other way around." responded Goku.

"It's which woman picked the best man? That makes no sense!" exclaimed Vegeta.

"We're the variables, Vegeta. Think about it." responded Naruto.

"Bah, you're both the couple of high class morons!" bellowed Vegeta. "The winner is the man who's the best in the bedroom!"

Naruto quirked an eyebrow, "Best? Are we talking stamina, most orgasms produced, or wildest thing you've ever done?"

Vegeta narrowed his eyes before smirking, "Most creative use of a fighting skill in the sack."

Goku scratched his head in confusion, "Well, I have done it as a Super Saiyan. Is that what you mean?"

Naruto shrugged, "It counts, but there's no way you can win."

"Wait a minute, how did you have sex with your woman as Super Saiyan, Kakarot? You should have pounded her into oblivion!" declared Vegeta.

Goku smirked, "Well, after I mastered the control over Super Saiyan in the time chamber that wasn't a problem anymore. Chichi couldn't get enough of me, that's how she ended up pregnant again."

"Damn you, Kakarot! Always one step ahead!" grumbled Vegeta.

"There's no need to get all agitated. He can't win."

Goku pouted, "And why is that?"

"You're the only straight man who isn't one-hit KO'd by any version of my Orioke no jutsu." deadpanned Naruto. "It's obvious who takes the bedroom lead in your marriage."

"And I've heard the stories about you from the woman. Until you married the Harpy, you were completely clueless about anything when it came to sex! You still thought girls had dicks when you were twelve!" added Vegeta.

"That was a perfectly normal assumption..." weakly defended Goku.

Naruto rolled his eyes, "Dude, I had perfected my original Orioke by the time I was twelve, with tons of research put starting at the age of ten."

Vegeta smirked, "Lost my virginity by age thirteen."

"The reason Super Saiyan sex isn't that impressive is that I don't have to worry about control much. We do it powered up all the time." casually stated Naruto.

"That's because your woman is half-woman, half machine." grunted Vegeta. "Ha! I've got you beat Kakarot! With telekinesis plus super speed I've pleasured every erogenous zone and hit every hole at once."

"I'm sure Naruto has the beat with his shadow clones." reasoned Goku.

Naruto shook his head, "Shadow clones can't hold up. They dispel way too easily."

Vegeta began to gloat, "Ha! I win-"

Naruto cut him off, "Not so fast! Ha! You guys are so way behind; I was having a tough time trying to decide how much I want to blow you out of the water. I'm in a good mood so; I'll give something that even you can do. Gentleman, I give you...fly-fucking."

The pair of Saiyans' jaws dropped, "Fly-fucking?"

"Yes, fly-fucking." reiterated Naruto.

"It's so...It's so ingenious!" exclaimed Vegeta.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X**  
**

Later that day Goku and Naruto could be found sparring on the Grand Kai's planet under the watchful eyes of King Kai. Goku dodged a punch from Naruto and responded with a kick that the blond easily blocked. They entered a high speed exchange of punches and kicks, neither managing to really capitalize on an opening with the other due the heavy weights they were using. Goku sported his traditional gi while Naruto sported a Future Trunks inspired outfit: black boots, black pants with orange stripes running down the side, metal plated fingerless black gloves and a black tank top. His customized black capsule corp jacket with a red flame design and whirlpool spiral sown on the back, lay on the ground underneath his weapons pouch and the Z sword in its sheath.

"Got a couple light weights, your training up again North Kai?" taunted South Kai as he strolled up to his North quadrant counterpart.

King Kai shot him a mischievous grin, "The one with the dark hair is my student Goku, a world champion from his home planet of Earth. And I'm sure you remember Naruto, South Kai. Along with those very interesting photographs he took that I still have in my possession."

South Kai's eyes widened in panic, "You said the ones I destroyed were the originals!"

"They were." replied King Kai as his grin widened. "I'd already made copies."

"You little..." grumbled South Kai. "Whatever, I'm sure these guys aren't that tough."

"Do you remember that Frieza fellow causing ruckus in the HFIL? The tyrant who Pikkon had to rescue your best man from." casually stated King Kai.

"Yeah, but what's that have to do with anything?" asked South Kai.

King Kai smirked as he adjusted his sunglasses, "Well, Goku was the one who originally defeated Frieza in the first place. And Naruto helped take down a guy named Cell, who was several times stronger. He sealed him into the Z-sword sitting right over there. They're both just about equal in strength."

"A wielder of the Z-sword..." stammered a stunned South Kai.

"Did also I mention that unlike your students, they're also not even dead yet?" added King Kai. "Yep, I guess you could say my eye for talent and training skills are the best around."

South scowled at his counterpart, "Now just you wait minute..."

As South Kai attempted to dress down his smug counterpart, Goku and Naruto were getting a little bored with their workout.

"How about we take this up a notch?" suggested Goku.

"Fine by me." replied Naruto with a shrug.

"Hold it!" shouted King Kai. "You two better not wreck the Grand Kai's planet!"

"We won't go all out, King Kai." reasoned Goku.

Naruto nodded in agreement, "Yeah, we'll increase the weight if we transform."

"How much weight are we talking about?" questioned South Kai.

"Let's double it, four tons to eight tons." suggested Goku.

South scratched his chin in thought, "Eight tons total? That's a decent amount."

"No, it'll be eight tons per limb." corrected Naruto.

South Kai's jaw dropped, "But, that's thirty-two tons total..."

King Kai waved his hand in front the face of the unresponsive Kai, "I think you may have broken him. Shouldn't you two be off handling that Despero character right now?"

Naruto shrugged, "I've got clones handling some recon work as we speak. They've been scoping out his operation, trying to figure out the best way to take him down and get after the next guy up the food chain."

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

A figure in a black hooded cloaked sprinted through the side streets of Kalanor's capital city. The person came to a halt at a cargo vehicle parked a few blocks away from Despero's main palace. After the figure knocked onto the door of the back trailer in a specific sequence, it pulled open and he slipped inside before it closed behind him. Once inside the figure peeled back his hood to reveal himself to be a Naruto clone joining his fellow clones inside their surveillance truck, "Guys! I've checked everywhere! There's not a single ramen stand on this planet!"

The clones were all outraged.

"That fiend!"

"He's a heathen!"

"The blasphemer!"

One clone had finally had enough, deciding it was time to take action, "Despero must pay for this grave injustice! Alert squad three, for the next ten days, we contaminate his personal food supply with a triple dose extra strength laxatives!"

"Here, here!" chorused all the clones in agreement.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

King Kai turned to his other pupil, "What's your excuse Goku? Shouldn't be taking care of your pregnant wife?"

Goku shook his head, "Until the baby comes, we're staying at Bulma's so she can take it easy. Besides all the women went shopping today."

King Kai nodded in understanding, "Ah, and you weren't forced to go with them. What did you do with all this free time?"

Goku grinned, "Well, we did pay a visit to Hercule this morning..."

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

It wasn't the first time during the day that Hercule cursed his luck. First he woke up and immediately let out a scream of horror when he found a head facing him in his bed. It turned out to only be a mannequin head, but it scared the crap out of him nonetheless. He opened his closet to get a robe and towel, only to be covered by an avalanche of ping pong balls. Thinking things couldn't get any worse he showered and headed out to his pool to work on his tan. It was forty-minutes later that he figured out someone had mistakenly refilled his oil bottle with Crisco. Suffered from a severe case of bacon back, he scrambled to get into his sandals sitting at the edge of the pool. Unfortunately, those had been super glued to the ground causing him to trip and fly head first into the pool. Despite all these cases of bad luck, his current predicament took the cake.

"What the hell is taking this guy so long!" grumbled Hercule. He was currently standing outside of a building having some construction done. A guy had come out and asked him to hold on the end of a tape measure for him since everyone else was working with the loud dangerous machinery and that was almost an hour ago.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

"Take a look in Naruto's jacket pocket. We took tons of pictures." stated a grinning Goku.

In the blink of an eye, King Kai had his hands on the comedic gold and was laughing up a storm.

Naruto's eyes glazed over for moment, "My clones may have just stumbled onto something big, but more importantly the Kalanorian rebels may be walking into an ambush."

"Should we head back and get some help?" asked Goku as the pair started discarding their weights.

"We need to move fast so let's just grab Piccolo and Sixteen from the lookout. The four of us will have to cut it for now." replied Naruto as put on his jacket and attached the Z sword to his back. "We shouldn't leave the Earth completely defenseless and if things get hairy King Kai can have Gohan round up the others for backup."

Goku nodded in agreement, "Alright, let's go."

The pair then vanished off to Earth to collect Piccolo and Sixteen before making the jump to Kalanor.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

Minutes later the clones in the surveillance van found themselves joined by Goku, Piccolo, Naruto, and Sixteen.

A stray thought popped a clone's head, "Hey, I just thought of a great joke. A Saiyan, a shinobi, a Namek, and an Android walk into a bar-"

He was cut off as the clone next to him smacked him in the back of head, accidentally causing him to dispel.

Naruto and his clones suddenly all smirked at the same time, "Ha! Funny!"

The clones all shook their heads to refocus from the momentary distraction. The apparent leader of the group took charge, "Alright we figured out that a supply raid the rebels are heading out on might nothing but a set up. The tunnel drops them into a warehouse filled with either supplies or a squadron of soldiers and a couple of generals. It's too soon to tell."

"Rebels? Figures, wherever there's oppression there's a resistance." muttered Piccolo. "Have you made contact with them?"

Goku nodded, "Yeah, Naruto and I raided couple of Despero supply transports yesterday before we played Space Tag."

Piccolo sweat-dropped, "Space Tag?"

Sixteen shook his head, "Don't ask. It's exactly what you think it is."

"Don't knock it until you've played it." quipped Naruto. "Anyway, we've definitely confirmed that he's involved with someone on the outside. There's something blocking nearly all communications heading out of this planet. The only devices that get a line out are the devices Despero and his elite generals wear.

The surveillance photo showed Despero wearing a white and red scouter. After that it cycled to two more Kalanorians wearing the same device along with an orange haired and dark haired alien, both of unknown origin.

"We think the last two are from planets he conquered and brainwashed." informed the clone.

"That device is a scouter, it's used to track power levels. It also serves as a communicator." informed Piccolo. "It would easily allow him to communicate to the new guy behind Frieza's empire."

"How far have you infiltrated into Despero cult?" questioned Sixteen.

"We planted bugs, hidden cameras, all sorts of shit. We're everywhere and he and his Legion of the Third Eye don't even have a clue." replied the clone.

Goku was struck with a stray thought, "How did you get so good at working this surveillance equipment?"

"Pranking the hell out of Hercule." deadpanned all the clones.

"I can't sense all the clones that should be here, did we loose some?" questioned the real Naruto.

"Two full squads were sent out to sector 431." replied a clone. "Every intercepting force that gets sent out is disguised as a different version of ANBU, so they still have no clue who is behind this. We used Mist, Cloud, and Leaf disguises so far."

'Hey! Nice work over in sector 431.' interrupted King Kai telepathically. 'With Despero already having taken control the planets Zenar and Jalax-III, if he'd taken over Xenadron-V that sector would have firmly been in his control.'

Piccolo narrowed his eyes, "The movements of this army are far too organized to be the random plotting of a madman out for control."

'So what are you thinking, Piccolo?' questioned King Kai.

"My suspicions are that the Cold Empire as not as dead as we thought with Frieza and King Cold out of the picture. Someone is using Despero and his forces like Frieza used the Saiyans. It may be this Cooler character, or it may be someone even higher up the food chain." stated Piccolo.

"Then why are we wasting time with Despero?" questioned Goku.

"As long as Despero continues to do his work for him, there is no reason for the mastermind to reveal himself. Removing his pawn from the playing field will force his hand." explained Piccolo.

'I think Piccolo is on to something. There are some planets the even Despero's forces would have trouble dealing with. Too much man power and time would be wasted trying over these worlds with capable technology or fighters to oppose invasion. Someone or something has been moving around discretely and completely obliterated these worlds. More than half a dozen planets, simply gone.' informed King Kai.

A clone's eye widened as it realized something, "There's a pattern in the use of his scouter. He calls out on this one specific frequency, and every time within forty-eight hours he's done that a planet has been destroyed."

Another dismissed that train of thought as there were more pressing matters at hand, "Shifflet is sending out a distress signal! Our suspicions were right, it is a trap!"

Goku decided on a course of action, "Alright, Piccolo and Sixteen, you guys escort the rebels to safety. Naruto and I will handle the Legion forces."

"Using the tunnels, there's another hideout you can reach that's not to far from there." informed Naruto.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

Things weren't looking good for the Rebel forces. As they had approached entrance of their target, a explosion rocked the ceiling of the tunnel they were traveling through. A hole opened up and Legion soldiers armed with blasters dropped down and opened fire. The doors of the raid site opened up and even more soldiers of Despero's Legion of the Third eye came sprinting down the steps into the tunnel to join the battle. The rebels were forced to take cover and return fire where they could.

"It's a trap!" shouted Radoko before Goku and the others suddenly appeared in the middle of the tunnel between the rebels and the legion soldiers. "The outsiders have betrayed us! They lead them here!"

"Don't be a fool!" yelled Shifflet as he returned fire. "I called them to bail us out!"

"Hurry back and regroup at the secondary sight!" ordered Sixteen as he took up a position to cover the rebels as he returned fire.

"Okay! Everybody move out!" commanded Shifflet.

As the rebels turned to flee Naruto raised his right arm and a wall of wind sprung up to shield them all from the blasts. Piccolo fired an energy blast at the ceiling to cave in the tunnel and cover their escape. Now that all the rebels were clear of the area, Naruto dropped the wall of wind dropped and waved his left arm. The weapons of all the soldiers were immediately all sliced in half, and the men themselves started dropping like flies as Goku super sped around the room knocking them out one by one. With the soldiers all down for the count Goku flew into the warehouse with Naruto following on foot. They found a group five elites soldiers on the ground floor waiting for them and three lieutenants standing a short distance behind them. They were all of Kalanorian descent, one very short, one a hulking brute, and the third tall and skinny.

"What are you waiting for? Get them!" commanded the shortest lieutenant.

The five warriors called upon the power of the blue Pitar flame and launched themselves into the air at Goku. Calling upon some of his strength with a shout, Goku masterfully dodged the incoming fist of the Kalanorian who reached him first. He planted his own fist into the soldiers gut before gliding around the other fighters as if they were in slow motion. A knee to the solar-plexus, a elbow to the throat, and elbow to the back of the neck, and a knee to the chin nailed the four remaining fighters before they could even realize the attacks were coming. The five man squad of fighters all dropped to the ground unconscious.

"Who the hell is this guy?" stammered the short lieutenant.

"I didn't even see him move!" yelled the bulky one.

Their tall and skinny companion tempered their concerns, "There's no need to worry. He only looked good, because he was facing those grunts. He couldn't possible compare to us."

"You're right. Those grunts are getting weaker and weaker now a days. You want the first crack at him, Ryuken?" questioned the short Kalanorian.

He gave a smirk in response, "Do you even have to ask?"

As the Lieutenant called upon the power of the Pitar flame and flew up to engage Goku, the Saiyan vanished again and reappeared in front of the Army Lieutenant leveling him with a high kick. He followed up by dropping an elbow into his sternum that sent him crashing into the ground and put him out of commission.

Goku vanished and reappeared in front of the two lieutenants with his back facing them. The two soldiers gasped in shock, stunned by his speed. Before they could even think of defending themselves, Goku slammed his elbow into the gut of the larger Kalanorian with his left arm, before dropping the other immediately with a powerful blow to the neck. The large lieutenant stumbled forward a few steps, doubled over in pain before he finally collapsed to the ground face first.

Naruto let out a yawn, "Well that was easy."

"Yeah, I was hoping for at least a warm up." complained Goku.

Exiting the hideout back into the tunnel, the two rose up through the hole in the ceiling to see if there were any stragglers above ground. Finding the streets empty they continued to move ahead a few blocks only to come to a halt as two figures suddenly dropped down in front of them. The one on the left was massive hulking alien with green skin and long black hair that extended down below his waste. He sported a golden variant of the Saiyan style armor with only a single shoulder pad covering his left shoulder. He also sported a red and white helmet along with a scouter. The menacing warrior appeared to be spoiling for a good fight. However, his companion appeared to want to be anywhere but their current location right now. He was a blue skinned alien with orange spiky hair. He sported loose flowing white pants with golden boots. A puffy long sleeved black shirt covered his upper body along with a red sash over his shoulder. A long sheathed sword was attached to his waste.

"They don't look like much, Doore." stated the orange haired alien with a bored tone. "You can handle them yourself."

The brute now know has Doore cracked his knuckles, "You just don't like dirty your hands with weaklings, Kogu."

Naruto chuckled, "You should know that appearance can be deceiving."

"I bet you guys think you're hot stuff." muttered Doore as he tapped the button on his scouter. He immediately let out burst of laughter, "You might have been able to squash those grunts, but with a power level of only 25,000 a piece you won't even scratch us."

Goku smirked as he dropped into his stance, "Is that right? We won't even scratch you?"

"Not so fast, you got the last squadron to yourself. These two are mine." declared Naruto.

Goku let out a sigh of disappointment, "Aw man, I didn't even break a sweat with those guys."

Naruto shrugged, "Not like these two will pose much more of challenge."

"Yeah, but the guy with the Mohawk at least feels like he could be decent warmup." reasoned Goku.

"You here that Kogu?" laughed the hulking green alien. "They said you might be a decent warmup!"

His shorter orange spiky hared companion merely rolled his eyes in annoyance, "You're a fool Doore. They don't even consider you to be a threat at all."

"Fine then! Give me your best shot, I won't even move!" bellowed the enraged brute as he leaped forward and landed in the center of the area.

Naruto scratched his head in confusion, "Best shot? That just wouldn't be fair. Let me show you."

Doore watched impatiently as Naruto pulled out his sword and seemingly slashed at nothing before tucking his free arm behind his back. Goku raised an eyebrow in amusement at the display.

The flashy display had the previously bored Kogu intrigued, "Looks like that blade isn't simply for decoration."

The sounds of a few drops of liquid splashing to the ground beneath Naruto's leg caught Doore's attention.

The bulky brute roared with laughter, "Hahaha! Did you see that Kogu! This guy just wet in pants before he could even make a move!"

Naruto smirked, "Look's like the rest of your body is a little slow on the uptake."

"What are you talking about you little piss pants punk? Just hurry up and give me your best shot!" bellowed Doore.

Naruto shook his head, "You still don't seem to understand the situation. Let me give you hand with that."

Casually Naruto brought the arm behind his back forward, and toss the severed forearm of Doore back to it's owner. The dumfounded brute caught with his good arm while sporting a stupefied expression. Looking down at his other arm to find a severed limb he let out a shout of panic before hopping around like mad and howling in pain.

"No! I'm not done with you!" roared Doore as he tossed his arm away. "I only need one arm to crush your skull! **Can Opener Attack!**"

The hulking green alien rushed forward to grab Naruto by the head, only to come up with nothing but air.

"Stay still and fight me!" yelled Doore.

Naruto rolled his eyes, "I'm ashamed to admit that once upon a time, people considered me to be slow, but I was nothing compared to a guy like you."

"What are you babbling about?" bellowed the big brute.

"You died four seconds ago, you moronic buffoon." informed Kogu.

"What?" incredulously exclaimed Doore.

A vertical line suddenly appeared in the vision of the brute as his body finally caught up with the fact that he's been split in half from head to toe. The edges of his body at the point of separation caught flame and quickly reduced to brainless fighter to ash.

"Let it be known that I am not a merciless man. I'll give you once chance to flee here with your life." stated Naruto as he turned to Kogu.

Kogu was unfazed, "Your sword technique is very refined, but not unbeatable. You may be good, great even, but I'm the best."

"Good thing I'm more than a simple swordsman." responded Naruto as he sheathed the Z-sword behind his back. "Why use the blade, when I only need one finger?"

Kogu quirked an eyebrow in surprise, "Are you really that foolish?"

Naruto brought forth his right hand with his index finger extended and engulfed with energy, "Try me."

Kogu slowly extracted his blade, "It's your funeral."

The orange haired alien blurred forward, unleashing an overhead strike that Naruto blocked easily. Kogu followed with a high speed assault of sword strikes that his blond haired foe blocked at every turn with his finger. Naruto's casual manner in deflected his attacks angered Kogu, causing him to up the intensity of his strikes. Goku observed closely as the pair super sped around the street in the completely one sided battle. After parrying a powerful overhead strike that left his opponent open, Naruto took the offensive and slashed at his chest with his finger. Only Kogu's instinct causing him to jump back saved him from gaining more than a shallow gash across his chest. He looked upon his opponent with a look of comprehension, finally able understand how he was merely toying with him.

"You're energy is of the wind nature. You could transform any part of your body into a blade." asserted Kogu.

"Now do you understand how futile this is?" questioned Naruto.

Kogu chuckled as he sheathed his own blade, "Futile? For you, maybe. Flame trumps wind."

The blue skinned alien let out a roar as his body became enshrouded in the blue flames of Pitar.

Naruto was unfazed by the display, "It will take more than lighting a match to impress me."

Wild flames rolled off his body, slamming into nearby buildings and creating tons of damage.

"Not impressed, yet?" taunted Kogu.

Naruto let out a chuckle of amusement.

"I wouldn't laugh just yet." declared Kogu.

The orange haired alien lifted his hand and fired a blast of the blue flame, which Naruto easily leaped to the left to avoid. The blond leaped into the air to avoid another blast, and Kogu continued to fire. The shinobi avoided each attack with relative ease, vanishing and reappearing around the area as Kogu tried in vain to roast him alive. After a couple blasts destroyed sections of a building and brought some debris to the ground, Naruto reappeared back on ground level in front of Kogu.

"I don't hear you prattling on anymore. Finally realized how I expose your fatal flaw?" taunted Kogu as he laughed arrogantly.

Naruto faked a shiver, "Actually, I'm cold."

"Actually, you're dead!" yelled the scowling orange haired alien.

Kogu let out a mighty roar and his power level suddenly skyrocketed with his body transforming to accommodate his ascension to full power. The transformation rendered his skin color chartreuse, his hair red and his muscle massed increased dramatically, shredding his shirt in the process. The blue flame aura around his body began more condensed and refined, as if his body was heating up like a poker.

Naruto made a beckoning motion, "Let's see what you've got."

Kogu let out a battle roar as he blurred towards Naruto and pierced through his chest with his glowing right hand. Naruto let out a groan of pain as his entire body became engulfed in flames from the attack that launched him backwards into the air.

_'His speed increased as much as his power. Those bulky muscles aren't even slowing him down.'_ thought Goku.

"And now for the Coup de Grace..." announced Kogu as he launched his fist forward like a punch and fired a massive spiraling blue and black ball of fire at Naruto while he was still in the air. The attack made a direct hit causing Naruto to howl out in pain. The smoldering form of the blond collapsed to the ground, still engulfed in flames as he burned away. The glow from Kogu's body faded as he admired his work.

"Ha! What a weakling. You're burning here, so I guest you can rest in hell." mocked Kogu. The red haired alien turned to face Goku, only to find Naruto standing next to the Saiyan. He turned back to the smoldering fire behind him, only to find a log burning away instead of the corpse of Naruto.

"The flames... he survived it all! That's impossible!" stammered Kogu.

Naruto extracted the sword with one hand and pushed his headband up with other, revealing his fully opened Jagan eye as he channeled the power of the Mortal Flame into the blade, "I never said I was just limited to the element of wind, did I?"

Kogu eye's widened in shock, "Fire and Wind? How could you-"

He was cut off as Naruto suddenly vanished and reappeared behind him. He wasn't even able to turn his head before his body fell apart in pieces that quickly burned to ash.

"You can channel all your power into that sword now without even having to transform yourself." observed Goku. "But how? That kind of control should have taken years learn."

Naruto shrugged, "I used my Kage Bushin training method in the time chamber to refine a lot of things and come up with new tricks as well."

Goku snickered, "Krillin always complains about how hard it is to keep up with us Super Saiyans in terms of pure power, but I don't think anyone can keep up with you in terms of techniques. You're always coming up with something new. The great Naruto, the man of a thousand techniques!"

"Somehow I've become a bizarro version of Kakashi-sensei." deadpanned the blond.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

Piccolo and Sixteen had safely led the rebels to the secondary hideout. While mostly consisting of Kalanorians, the rebels had picked up some members from the various races that Despero and his army had conquered. Piccolo picked the brain of a few rebels to try and get a better understanding of how Despero operates. Sixteen spent his time investigating their surroundings.

Shifflet walked over to Sixteen who was starring intently at some hieroglyphic like carvings in the stone wall, "Can you actually read this stuff?"

"There seems to be a recurring theme here, in these symbols." replied Sixteen.

The man was stunned, "Wow, no one can decipher these. The chambers here are ancient; no one knows who built them."

"From what I can tell, this indicates that this planet at one time had flourishing green lands and plant life. The presence of nature was very strong, completely opposite of the barren desert conditions of today." informed Sixteen.

"That's kind of hard to believe." muttered Radoko.

"Actually, legend does say that Kalanor was once a paradise." suggested Shifflet.

"The main reoccurring symbol is this tree here." indicated Sixteen.

Shifflet narrowed his eyes at the symbols, "I can only recognize the flame symbol for the flame of Pitar. That means that corrupting fire has plagued this world for centuries."

"Those are nothing but the ancient drawings of cavemen. We need to stop sitting around and wasting time. We need to take action!" ranted Radoko.

Shifflet placed a hand on his shoulder to calm him, "Patience, Radoko. If we act without proper planning, all is lost."

Radoko scoffed and shrugged him off, "We are only delaying the inevitable. We should just give in before any more lives are wasted for nothing. The cause is lost."

Shifflet looked upon his comrade sadly as he stormed off, "Forgive him, he is young, but he also has a point. It all seems so bleak."

"Hope is only lost when you believe it to be so." advised Sixteen.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

Despero turned to face Prisblec as he entered his chambers.

"You have news for me Prisblec?" questioned Despero.

He nodded, "Yes, our conquest of Xenadron-V in sector 431 failed. It was another group of those masked soldiers thwarting our forces again."

Despero frowned, "What about the trap set for the unbelievers?"

Prisblec scowled, "They would have fallen if no for the intervention of some outsiders. It is believed to be the same pair that previously raided the supply lines. What do you want to do about them, my Lord?"

Despero scratched his chin, "I've had my suspicions of their identities, and this battle only confirmed it. The next course of action is already in motion."

Prisblec's eyes widened, "You mean him? But my Lord, if he fights them here the resulting battle could be catastrophic."

Despero smirked, "I did not deploy him here, but to the home world of our new foes."

"Wise as always, my Lord. I shall go check on his status." stated Prisblec with a bow as he departed the room.

The minute he left, Despero pulled his scouter out of his pocket and put it on. As he spoke, his voice changed, "Yeah, you were right about it. He was one of them. What did I do? I deployed the weapon to their home planet, Earth. He'll go on a rampage looking for 'Kakarot' while I finish the job with the real one right here. I'll report back in once it's done."

As he dropped the line of communication his countenance remained the same, "Ha! Not even you have no idea what the 'weapon' is truly capable of. I just need to bide my time until your master reveals themselves Cooler, and then the Universe will be under my control!"

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

Goku and Naruto reconnected with the others at the hideout. While the rebels were still upbeat from the turning of the tables on their ambush, the eventual confrontation with Despero concerned Piccolo.

"Defeating this Despero isn't going to be so simple. He is channeling a great deal of power that isn't necessarily his own." stated Piccolo.

"You mean the power he gets from the flame of Pitar?" replied Naruto.

Piccolo nodded, "With his connection to flame he can draw as much power as he needs from it and even pass on the link to the flame to his soldiers."

"So, if we wipe out the flame the whole thing collapses!" declared Goku.

"But it's not like you can just blow out the flame like a candle." interjected Shifflet. "Its power is almost infinite and it is composed of pure nuclear plasma."

Goku scratched his head as he gave it some thought, "You said before it was a sentient being, can you seal it away, Naruto?"

Naruto shook his head in response, "There's nothing powerful enough for it to be sealed into. The Z-sword was already created to be a strong prison, so that's why sealing away Cell worked, but it was a one shot deal."

"Perhaps we can neutralize the flame." suggested Sixteen. "If it is composed of nuclear plasma, a carbon bomb would arrest its nuclear activity. With the resources you acquired from Dr. Gero's lab, I can construct one in a few hours."

Naruto chuckled and patted him on the shoulder, "Ladies and gentleman, I give you Sixteen, the Android of a thousand talents."

Piccolo let out a grunt of annoyance, "What are you waiting for? Get a move on!"

"Right!" replied Naruto with a salute. He put a hand Sixteen's shoulder and they both teleported back to Earth.

"And now we wait..." muttered Shifflet.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

It was only an hour later when Naruto returned to the hideout without Sixteen.

"Is something wrong?" asked Goku.

Naruto growled, "Yes, we've got a rat problem. That Radoko fellow, he's gone to meet with Despero."

Goku narrowed his eyes, "Then it looks like the time fight is now. We need hold Despero and his men off until Sixteen finishes with that bomb."

"Shifflet, you and the others need to evacuate this place. Head back to your main hideout and get ready for a fight." ordered Piccolo.

"You got it." nodded the stocky Kalanorian. "Come on everybody! Let's go!"

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

Despero sat meditating in the innermost sanctum of his palace, hovering in front of the pit that housed the flame of Pitar.

"The time is almost at hand; my connection to the flame grows stronger with everyday." He was broken from his meditation by the arrival of general Prisblec, "Better news this time, I hope?"

"Indeed, my Lord." replied Prisblec. He turned back to the darkened hallway behind them and nodded. Out of the shadows emerged Radoko, who walked right up to the intimidating presence that was Despero.

"Speak." commanded Despero.

"Lord Despero, the off-worlders and unbelievers have regrouped in the city's ancient catacombs. I can show you where to find them." meekly offered Radoko.

Despero gave him a skeptical look, "And why should I believe you? Where you also not one of the unbelievers? What do you gain from this betrayal?"

Radoko bowed at his feet, "I only wish to be apart of the winning side."

Despero let out a hearty laugh, "Hahaha! Well then young one, you've assured yourself a position there indeed."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that." rang out the voice of Goku as he, Naruto, and Piccolo appeared above them. "From where we stand, our chances look pretty good."

Prisblec kicked Radoko from his spot on the ground, "You fool! You lead them right to us!"

"Patience general Prisblec, I've been expecting them for some time now. These three are here of their own accord." stated Despero. "Now prepare your forces Prisblec, the rest of the resistance must be shown the error of their ways. They will accept the Will of Pitar or die. I will handle these three myself."

Prisblec bowed and left, dragging Radoko behind him, "As you wish."

Naruto, Piccolo, and Goku dropped to the ground in front of Despero. Goku stood in the center of the trio, directly facing Despero, with Piccolo to his left and Naruto to his right. The flame of Pitar let loose a flare of energy behind Despero, causing the trio of fighters to drop into their stances. Piccolo's cape billowed behind him in a dramatic fashion with Goku and Naruto's hair doing the same. Despero starred them down unfazed by their arrival.

With Prisblec gone Despero's voice and seemingly his personality shifted once again, "Well, well, well if it isn't the monkey who took down the mighty Frieza, himself. It's been a long time, Goku."

"Wait a minute, you know this guy?" questioned a befuddled Naruto.

"No, never seen met before in my life." responded Goku.

"How do you know that name!" demanded Piccolo.

Despero laughed, "Don't feel too left out, Piccolo. I know you as well!"

Goku let out a grunt of frustration, "His voice sounds familiar, but that shouldn't be possible. I would remember a guy like this."

Despero smirked, "It makes since, that you wouldn't recognize me. The last time we crossed paths, you trapped me inside a frog."

It finally dawned on Goku, "No way! Captain Ginyu?"

Naruto was completely lost, "Captain what now?"

"Ginyu? But there's no way! He should have bit the dust a long time ago!" bellowed Piccolo.

"Or at least still be stuck as frog." added Goku.

"Ha! Ha! Ha!" madly cackled the now revealed Captain Ginyu as he struck one of his trademark poses. "Not even you could keep the mighty Ginyu down for long! It was a tough struggle, but now I'm back on top! And not even a mighty Super Saiyan like you can hold a candle to me! With the unlimited power of the flame of Pitar at my disposal in this new body, I am unbeatable! Hahaha!"

* * *

_**Captain Ginyu's back! What in the seven levels of HFIL is going on here? The Captain is back and apparently primed to go toe to toe with Team Kai. And what sort of surprise weapon has he unleashed on the unsuspecting Earth? It looks like Earth's Special Forces is going to have their work cut for them as they face a possible battle on two fronts. Amidst this entire chaos one thing is for sure, you definitely don't want to miss the next battle packed edition of Ninja of the Kais!**_


End file.
